Taking It Back
by Lorilozz
Summary: They say there’s a right time for everything. Everything happens for a reason. Patience is a virtue. Blah. Blah. Blah. Well Nathan Scott says that you decide what you want and you take it. Haley James doesn’t stand a chance.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Taking It Back

**Summary:** They say there's a right time for everything. Everything happens for a reason. Patience is a virtue. Blah. Blah. Blah. Well Nathan Scott says that you decide what you want and you take it. Haley James doesn't stand a chance.

**Author's Note:** I know I really shouldn't be starting a new story but this one chapter has been half written for months and I felt inspired to keep going with it. It was originally only going to be a short fic but it seems that depth of the plot keeps getting... deeper. Thanks to Dawn (BabbleBaby) for her encouragement with this new idea and to Ha who did a great job as my beta for this chapter.

And I promise for any of you reading _Little White Lies_ that the next update isn't far away. It's almost finished. Unfortunately the next update for _Holding on to Hope_ is probably a bit further away but I plan to get a start on it this weekend.

* * *

"_Do you think they'll find us here?" Haley asked breathlessly as she sank onto the ground._

"_Nah. Only we know about this place." Nathan assured her, looking around the hidden cove of the beach. "You did good Haleybub. They had no idea what hit 'em."_

_She grinned widely lapping up the praise he offered. He was the only kid here who didn't treat her like a baby. At twelve years old she was used to her older siblings looking down on her like her opinions didn't matter, so having a boy of fifteen hanging out with her and treating her with respect was something Haley cherished. He'd taken her under his wing the summer before and they'd written each other throughout the year keeping in touch so that when they'd met up again today it was like they'd never been apart._

"_I bet Robbie Willis will run to his dad straight away to get us in trouble." She added anxiously, not used to getting into mischief but enjoying it so much. She did a lot of crazy things with Nathan that she would never do with anyone else. He made her brave._

"_It was just a water bomb. Can't get in trouble for that… and even if Uncle Coop pretends to be angry he'll think it's funny… and I don't see Jimmy getting mad."_

_Haley rolled her eyes knowing that her father thought she was an angel and would never believe her capable of such troublemaking. "He won't… and it wasn't just a water bomb, Nathan – it was filled with water and orange dye!"_

_Nathan laughed a full bellied laugh, his face lighting up with happiness. "Well he already looks like an Oompa Loompa so it won't make much difference."_

_The young girl reached out and swatted him playfully trying to hide her smile. It was true though; Robbie did look kind of like he belonged in Charlie's chocolate factory… but she couldn't feel sorry for him when he was such a bully._

_Seeing the girl refuse to join in his laughter, Nathan reached over and pulled her onto his lap, tickling her until she was in fits of hysterical laughter. He'd never had siblings, but if he'd had a sister as cool and fun as Haley he definitely wouldn't have minded. After a couple of minutes she finally pulled free and pinched him hard on the arm, earning a surprised yelp from the boy as she jumped to her feet to avoid retaliation._

"_Damn Hales. That hurt."_

"_Good. Maybe you'll learn not to mess with me next time." She huffed, hands on her hips as she unsuccessfully tried to hide a smile._

"_You want me to baby you instead?"_

"_No." she replied quickly and dropped down next to him again knowing that was the last thing she wanted. She glanced at the boy beside her and her heart fluttered. She knew it was stupid and foolish but she had a major crush on Nathan Scott and although she knew it would never lead anywhere, she couldn't stand the thought of him not being her friend._

_Nathan knew how sensitive she was about being treated like a child and how much she appreciated the respect he showed her. Sure, he still teased her but it__was__ the__same__ way he teased his friends; all in good fun. Standing up he extended his hand to her. "C'mon Haleybub, let's go for a swim." _

_Once on her feet she watched as he pulled his polo shirt over his head, tossing it onto the sand and had to stop herself from swooning. He was really, really cute and a little too much for her poor little heart._

"_Take a picture, __it'll last__ longer." He teased, knowing she was shy and wasn't used to seeing anyone but her brothers shirtless. With a smirk he reached out and pulled back the elastic of her one piece so that it flicked back and hit her skin with a loud 'thwack'._

"_I'll get you for that." She growled, embarrassed more by her shocked reaction than anything else and shimmied out of her shorts, throwing them on the sand with her t-shirt. Her hands wrapped around her middle and she realized that she felt self-conscious around him for the first time. She knew he didn't even notice her body, that she was like one of the guys to him, but couldn't help looking down and noticing how different she looked to the older girls she'd__see trying to flirt with him all the time. They had hips where she was narrow and breasts where she was flat._

"_Hello… Earth to Haley." Nathan yelled out from where he stood at the __water's__ edge, striking a body builder pose to look tough. "You want a piece of me or not?"_

_She sighed as her heart gave another flutter. Oh dear Lord. This was not good.  
_

Those eyes; he'd recognize them anywhere. God, he used to lose himself in their depths, whether they sparkled with humor and mischief or pulled at his heart when filled with hurt and disappointment. How long had it been since he'd seen her? It had been twelve years now and although he hadn't always thought of her a lot in that time, her face had appeared in his thoughts the last few months and he knew now that even when she wasn't at the forefront of his mind, he'd never forgotten her. Greedily, he drank in the sight of her; her subtle beauty, the sleek torrent of blonde hair cascading down her back, wide full lips that invited a man's kiss and those eyes; yes he was still bewitched by those eyes of deep brown with amber flecks that sparkled like golden embers. She'd been beautiful years ago… now she was stunning.

He'd always been able to read her face, tell exactly what she was thinking, but not now. He couldn't even tell if she recognized him and he ignored the flicker of disappointment he felt at that realization. This girl, well woman now, had used to look upon him as her hero, her teenage crush growing more obvious each summer until the look of longing and respect changed to one of disappointment. He remembered how little time they'd spent together that last summer when all the ones before they'd been practically joined at the hip, swimming, hiking, getting into mischief or simply just talking. He remembered that most about her; the way she'd listened to him as if what he had to say really mattered. She made it okay to talk about all the problems he had at home and his father's increasingly overbearing nature. No matter what he needed to get off his chest she was there to listen… until that last summer. Her final words to him rang in his ears '_You're not the boy I thought you were, Nathan Scott_.' They'd stung him then and he could feel the sting of them again now. If there was anyone in the world he'd wanted to avoid hurting or disappointing it had been her… but in trying to protect her, protect her from himself, he'd managed to hurt her anyway.

Haley's breath caught in her throat as her gaze locked with a familiar pair of startling blue eyes. Nathan Scott. What was he doing here? He hadn't come back here in twelve years. He still looked the same, yet so very different. Her eyes drank him in, assessing the differences; he was taller now, much taller and he'd filled out a lot; even beneath his sweater she could see the shape of the well defined muscles of his arms and chest… and my God that chest was broad, much broader than it'd been at nineteen. Not that he'd been anything to sniff at as a nineteen year old. She'd been head over heels for the boy - sure that they were meant to be together, although looking back she could see it was an adolescent type of love; an innocent love. Even if she hadn't been too young, just sixteen to his nineteen, she'd learned that the Nathan Scotts of this world didn't go for girls like Haley James… no, they preferred the flashy confident type like the high school cheerleaders who weren't afraid to flaunt what they had. Like her sister Taylor. As if her thoughts conjured her sister to life, Haley heard Taylor's throaty laugh and she turned to find the woman in question sitting with her husband; their baby boy on her lap dancing to the music playing from the small radio.

She smiled at her nephew and her sister who she could now call her closest friend. It was amazing how much time could change a person and Taylor was one of the most changed of all, her crazy attention seeking ways were far behind her; the beautiful blonde now a wife, mother twice over and a business owner. She was so happy for her sister but couldn't deny that the jealousy she'd always felt still remained. Back when they were younger she'd been envious of Taylor's carefree attitude, the way boys would fall at her feet and the way she seemed to get out of every sticky situation she found herself in. Now it seemed that she was jealous because her sister was living the life Haley had always wanted for herself.

Haley, the quiet reliable one who'd never done a single irresponsible thing in her life - aside from momentary lapses in judgment where a certain blue eyed boy was concerned - was in a job she didn't want, terminally single and about as far from having the husband, the family and the career she'd always wanted as she'd been from having Nathan's affections when she was just a scrap of a girl pining after him all of those years ago. Feeling a tingle run down her spine she glanced back up to find Nathan's eyes still hadn't strayed from her. It was unnerving.

"Hey there sweetheart. Got a hug for your favorite Uncle Cooper?"

Haley's face broke into a smile at the familiar voice and she quickly turned around to hug the man who'd become like family to her. For the past sixteen years he'd looked out for her, first during the summers they'd spent at this place - he being the one to help her nurse her broken heart when it had felt like his nephew had shattered it to pieces - and later encouraging her to follow her dreams instead of doing what she believed everyone else wanted her to do.

"I've always got a hug for you Coop." she said going into his arms and hugging him tightly.

"How long are you staying this year?"

"Only a couple of days, I've got to head back for work." She rolled her eyes and Coop laughed knowing that Jimmy made a point of never treating his daughter any differently to his other employees.

"Guess that means you haven't thrown out those sexy suits and now work with a guitar or piano and that beautiful voice of yours?" he whispered, not letting her family hear. There were only a handful of people who knew of her dream to be a songwriter, the rest believing she was satisfied with her job as a lawyer in her father's legal practice. Jimmy James had always hoped one of his children would follow in his footsteps and after all of her siblings had managed to disappoint him by following their own dreams, she'd decided that being a lawyer wouldn't be so bad. She did enjoy certain aspects of her work and she was damn good at it but her heart would always be filled with music and she hoped that one day she'd have the courage to follow through with her dream.

Looking at the hope in Coop's eyes she felt like she was somehow a disappointment to him and wished she was strong enough to break out of the mold her family and friends had cast her in and follow her heart.

"No, but it does include some mighty big law books which I've used on more than one occasion to get you out of trouble so don't go giving me any crap." Haley teased, still not letting Cooper live down the last incident a few months back where he'd dated a girl many years his junior who claimed to be a 26 year old model and had actually been a 17 year old high school cheerleader. That wouldn't have been a legal problem except that the girl's daddy had found out and confronted Cooper resulting in a fight and a law suit for damages to property at the bar they'd completely trashed.

"It really is questionable who's the child and who's the adult here isn't it?" he laughed ruefully.

"When am I going to stop being that cute little James girl and become a grown woman in the eyes of everyone here?" Haley asked, shaking her head. Even her parents and siblings still treated her as the baby of the family. It was frustrating.

"Well I certainly know one person who isn't looking at you like you're a little girl." Coop whispered teasingly, and Haley followed his gaze across the room to Nathan. She shivered as their eyes locked again and realized Cooper was right, he was definitely looking at her like a grown woman.

Remembering back to years earlier, she thought of how he had been the only person to treat her like she wasn't a child. When everyone else was still babying her, Nathan had treated her like an equal, letting her join him on his walks and helping him plan out his little tricks and pranks on the other holiday-makers. He'd opened up to her more and more each year, sharing his joys and his concerns and when he looked at her there was a warmth and real respect in his eyes. At least until that last summer. Even though he'd failed to respond to her last few letters that year, Haley simply mused that he'd been busy with college and basketball. It was a big change for anyone and he just needed time to adjust to it all.

She'd been so excited to see him again that summer, especially since her body had taken on a major transformation in the year they'd been apart and she'd had high hopes that he'd actually see her as more than his equal now; as a woman. When Coop's car had arrived and she'd raced over to greet them, she was sure she'd seen a dark flash of heat in his eyes as they quickly combed over her new body in the short shorts and bikini top she'd borrowed from Taylor, but just as quickly as she saw it, the look disappeared and turned into one of indifference. That had been the beginning of a miserable summer where all her hopes were dashed and she watched the boy she loved become someone she barely recognized.

"Haleybub?"

She froze, his voice running over her melodiously, causing goose bumps to rise on her skin. She didn't want to react this way to him. It wasn't fair. She'd had no time to prepare for this meeting and had no idea how to handle the nearness of him. She thought back to the humiliation she'd suffered the last time she'd seen him and resolved not to be put in that position again; raw and hurting. No, indifference was the key. Act like he was just a faded memory of her past.

Turning, she kept her expression neutral, waiting a few vital moments before she allowed the recognition to show on her face. She smiled politely as though greeting an old acquaintance and held out her hand. Cool. Impersonal. She could do this.

"Nathan. What a surprise."

She could see that he was taken aback by her reaction to him and the use of the nickname she'd always loved him using, even when she'd loathed its use by anyone else.

"It's good to see you. It's been a long time."

She wanted to swoon when he smiled at her that way, but she didn't. Instead she glanced around them quickly looking appropriately distracted and disinterested.

"Yes it has been. You're looking well."

_Understatement of the year!_

"You too. You've become a beautiful woman Hales." He said in a low voice that sent tingles down her spine… all the way down between her thighs. She glanced to her left to see that Coop had abandoned her and she mentally scowled. She'd deal with him later.

Never had she been so grateful to hear her sister's voice when she heard Taylor calling for her. "Well it's been nice seeing you again Nathan. I doubt I'll see you before you leave later this afternoon so… goodbye and good luck I guess."

Nathan didn't bother to correct her. This wasn't a quick visit to catch up with his uncle; he'd be staying for a while. Long enough to do what he needed to do at least. He watched her walk away, her long golden locks swaying in unison with her luscious hips. Damn she was gorgeous… and she was playing games. The thought saddened him a little, knowing that the girl he'd known didn't have time for games. She'd always been upfront and honest and he suspected that he was part of the reason for that change. Brushing away those thoughts he focused on her as she spoke with her family and noticed her taking furtive glances in his direction. Oh yes, she was playing games. She may think she'd fooled him into believing she barely remembered him but he'd seen her pupils dilate, her breathing accelerate… her nipples tighten. She knew exactly who he was now and who he'd been to her back then… and she still wanted him.

"_Hi." Her smile was forced as she dropped onto the sand beside him, but she hoped he didn't notice. He didn't seem to even know she existed at the moment so it wasn't likely he would._

"_Hey."_

_The monotone response was so different to the way he'd always greeted her before – usually with a bear hug and a big smile. She was starting to wonder if she'd done something wrong. Maybe that was why he'd stopped writing her._

"_How are you?" _

"_Fine."_

_Silence._

"_So how is college? It must be great living out of home now. I've been following your games and you've been getting a fair amount of time on the court. That's really good for a freshman, right?"_

_Hope swelled in her chest as he looked up obviously surprised, and seemingly pleased, by the fact she'd been keeping track. She smiled at him, a genuine one this time and almost instantly his expression shut down again as he looked back out at the ocean._

"_Is something wrong Nathan? You know you can talk to me. You've always been able to…"_

"_I don't want to talk Haley. Nothing's wrong besides the fact that I can't even seem to get any peace and quiet on my fucking holiday!"_

_It was like he'd slapped her. No, that wasn't right… more like he'd sucker punched her. What had happened to the boy she'd cared about for so long, the same boy who'd always made her feel so special – like she mattered? The fears she'd held for months that he'd simply outgrown her and being at college had pointed out that she was an insignificant little high school girl were coming back to her with full force. He didn't want her around anymore._

_Holding back her tears – she didn't want to act like the silly little schoolgirl he thought she was – she walked back up the beach breaking into a run when she knew he could no longer see her. _

_When she collapsed onto her bunk crying silent tears, she wondered how she'd made it back to her parent's cabin in the dark with tears streaming down her face. Thank God they were asleep and hadn't seen her looking so pathetic. She'd die of shame if they knew the truth. It was then that she realized what had probably been obvious to everyone else.. She'd been a fool to think Nathan would ever want to be more than just her friend… and it seemed he didn't even want that anymore.  
_

Nathan stared out at the water; the gentle waves lapping at the sand seemed so calm in contrast to his turbulent emotions. Had it really been twelve years since he'd been back here, since he'd been the kind of person he could be proud of? No, it had been longer since he'd been that guy. His second last summer here, the one between high school and college was the last time he remembered liking himself. Haley had seen something in him that he hadn't seen in himself and spending time with her had made him aware of the good inside of himself. Sure he was popular, had lots of friends and plenty of girls vying for his attention, but Haley made him see the important stuff. Things had looked so bright that summer. He was going to college and rather than cruising along on his scholarship like everyone expected he planned to work hard and get a degree. Basketball was still important but she helped him see that it wasn't his whole world, no matter what his father tried to drill into him day after day.

It had all changed so quickly. He'd started to believe the hype surrounding him on campus. He'd performed well and made it into the starting line up, almost unheard of for a freshman. It wasn't long before he was treated like a God on campus. His older team mates took him under their wing and he was soon attending every party, partying hard and partaking in all the drinks and women that were on offer. His goal of studying hard seemed to slip away and soon enough it was a matter of scraping by to stay on the team rather than getting good grades and it seemed everyone turned a blind eye to it all. He was Nathan Scott. Normal rules didn't apply to him.

He'd still looked forward to getting Haley's letters every couple of weeks. It was like a little piece of innocence touching his world and at first he would revel in her words, reading and re-reading the letters, always responding enthusiastically and answering her questions – edited versions of what he'd been up to of course – but he'd always written with the aim of making her smile. Sometimes he wondered if this girl, so much younger in age yet so much wiser than him, was his only real friend.

As his lifestyle got more and more out of control his anticipation of her letters faded until he dreaded them. They were like regular reminders of how disappointed she would be in him if she knew what he'd become. His responses became shorter and shorter and he could tell from her letters that she was concerned. Usually he could settle her worries with humor and anecdotes about what his team mates got up to although leaving out his part in their mischief.

It was at his lowest point – after doing something that made him sick to his stomach - that he truly hated the person he'd become and he stopped writing altogether. God, he'd wanted to speak to her, to hear her tell him he wasn't a bad person, and he'd almost called her a couple of times needing a friend to talk to but he couldn't face her. The one person who'd always told him to believe in himself, who he felt he could trust, was the one person he'd never want to learn the truth - Nathan Scott was a miserable excuse for a human being.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Taking It Back

**Summary:** They say there's a right time for everything. Everything happens for a reason. Patience is a virtue. Blah. Blah. Blah. Well Nathan Scott says that you decide what you want and you take it. Haley James doesn't stand a chance.

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much for the great response to this new story. I did originally plan to make it a short one, but I've reviewed my ideas and really don't think I can do it justice in just 5 chapters so it's definitely going to be longer.

Thank you to Dawn and Molly for all of their assistance with this update and for listening to me go on and on about my ideas lol as well as helping me brainstorm. I appreciate the help girls!

* * *

"_Hey."_

_Haley glanced back over her shoulder to find Nathan jogging along the path to catch up with her. "Hey. What are you doing here? I thought you were going to Sally Calhoun's party."_

"_Yeah. I got bored. Decided to come back."_

_Haley eyed him skeptically but said nothing. She knew Nathan was quite the party boy back home and most nights during summer vacation he'd go off with the other older teens; her only real time with him being during the day so it was odd for him to skip out of a party early._

"_So what are you doing out here by yourself Haleybub? Sneaking out for an all night rager?" Nathan teased, elbowing her in cajolingly as they walked along the trail leading towards their families' cabins._

"_I'm on my way home from babysitting actually. Mr. and Mrs. Jenson went out for dinner and a show so I looked after Mattie and Jessica."_

_Nathan snorted derisively. "Sounds fun."_

_She shoved him none too gently, but the strength of a thirteen year old girl was no match for the ever growing frame of a sixteen year old boy. "It was fun actually! We baked cookies for their parents… well they were supposed to be for their parents, but Mattie used salt instead of sugar…," Haley grimaced at the memory, "and we watched cartoons and played video games. They're great kids." She said with a smile._

"_You'll be a great mom one day, Hales." _

_She grinned at the comment. There was nothing she wanted more than to one day get married to the man of her dreams and have a children. "I hope so. I plan on having a bunch of kids."_

"_That sounds nice." Nathan replied almost wistfully. "I'm used to being on my own but it can get lonely. From the way you tell it, I think I'd like being part of a big family... but it's not like I'd know how to be a good parent. I don't exactly have a very good role model. Just look at my Dad."_

_Haley glanced at him as they reached the cove where they always seemed to find themselves without even planning it. It seemed that they always ended up there. They sat in silence for a while, Nathan seemingly lost in his troubled thoughts and Haley not knowing what to say. What could she say? She was just a kid, right? But being Haley James she just couldn't help herself. There was no way she could let a friend think poorly of themselves._

"_I know your Dad sucks, Nathan..." she didn't even feel bad saying it no matter how ill-mannered it was. Dan Scott didn't deserve a son like Nathan. What kind of father could he be when Nathan had confided that he was only ever happy being himself here during the summer staying with his Uncle Cooper and hanging out with her? Rather than being stuck in his solemn mood, Nathan grinned at her comment and she grinned right back, unable to stop herself; his smiles were infectious. Reaching for his hand, she squeezed it gently. "But you're nothing like him; nothing at all. And I know you're going to grow up to be a person anyone would be proud to know… and you'll be a great dad. Don't let anyone else tell you different, okay?"_

_She felt a little uneasy as he stared at her so intently for what felt like long, long minutes, but was probably only a few seconds. "You're the best friend I've ever had, Hales." _

_Her eyes widened at the comment. She knew they were friends and she considered him to be her closest friend. When they were together they always seemed to get along so well, like they'd known each other their whole lives, and they were always writing to each other throughout the year, but she never would have guessed just how much their friendship meant to him. _

"_Really? You don't think I'm too young to be your best friend?"_

"_You're a lot wiser than most people _my_ age Haley James… and don't let anyone else tell you different, okay?" he smirked, pulling her into a hug. _

"Aaaaaaaaagh!"

Haley's eyebrows rose curiously as she heard the distinctively ear-piercing sound of Beth's squealing. The girl's squeals were a strange sound; glass shatteringly high pitched and always ending in an adorable little girly giggle. Haley's heart constricted. She loved spending time with Cooper's daughter as well as all of her nieces and nephews, of which there were far too many, but she would never stop longing for children of her own. Rounding a corner on the path Haley found herself rooted to the spot, her jaw dropping in surprise at the sight before her. Nathan Scott, big time NBA player was being attacked by a group of six or seven children all vying for his attention by any means possible. He had Beth lifted into the air while the other children were trying to climb on his back, wrapping around his legs and generally trying to drag him down to the ground. What was he still doing here? He'd never returned once in the last twelve years and she'd assumed it had been a flying visit to see Coop yesterday on his way to somewhere or something more exciting.

"Uncle Nate! Put me down!" Beth cried half-heartedly, obviously reveling in the attention.

"Not until you say it."

"No."

"Ok that's fine. I can hold you up here for probably… another couple of hours."

"Ok! Ok!"

"Ok what?"

"You're the bestest uncle in the entire world and I'll never love anymore more than you. Ever."

As casually as if he'd just been reaching for something from a shelf, he placed the girl's feet back on the ground and gave her a cheeky grin. "See. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

The girl noticed Haley walking toward them and her face broke into a massive grin. "Aunty Haley! Did you see? Uncle Nate lifted my up real high."

Lifting the girl into her arms, even though she was getting much too heavy for it now, Haley kissed her cheek, knowing that soon Beth would consider herself too old for this affectionate behavior so she'd better lap it up while she could. "I did see… and I think everyone in the park heard you, Betty Boop."

Grinning at the nickname Haley had given her as a baby, Beth stated proudly "Daddy says I have a loud voice. He says he can hear me talking over his race cars."

"Well your daddy's right… but don't you tell him I said that."

"I won't." Beth promised, wrapping her arms around Haley's neck and snuggling closer. Haley closed her eyes enjoying the moment. Even though Beth wasn't blood related like her other nieces and nephews, Haley had a soft spot for the little girl. She'd watched her grow up and tried to help raise her, being the female influence in her life while she was being raised only by her father.

A loud bell tolling signaled it was ice-cream time and within moments of hearing the sound coming from the children's activities room, all the kids who'd been playing with Nathan Beth decided he was much less exciting than an ice cream cone and raced off. With a giggle the girl squirmed her way onto the ground, obviously deciding Haley wasn't as exciting as ice-cream either and followed the others, shouting over her shoulder to Nathan, "I love Aunty Haley more."

"She wounds me." Nathan sighed dramatically, grinning at Haley.

"You'll live."

"How are you, Hales?"

"I'm good." She offered somewhat stiffly, extremely uncomfortable in this man's presence. She'd hated him for so long - well tried to convince herself she did anyway - had loved him even longer and had no idea how to deal with him now that he seemed determined to catch up or reconnect or whatever the hell he was trying to do. "What are you still doing here? I thought you would have gotten out of here yesterday."

"Trying to get rid of me already? That's no way to treat an old friend."

"We haven't spoken in over ten years Nathan; I'd hardly call us friends. Maybe acquaintances at best."

"And another hit on Nathan Scott." He mocked, holding a hand over his heart.

Haley felt her lip twitching upwards into a smile at his antics. Take away ten years of silence, one very painful memory and a whole lot of hurt and she'd think they were the same two kids hanging out over summer, enjoying each others company. But that wasn't the case. Nathan may still make her heart race like no one's business but he was also the same guy who'd caused more tears and sleepless nights than she ever wanted to endure again. He'd broken her heart like it was nothing and no matter how much she'd like to put it behind her, knowing they'd been kids and she should get over it, she just couldn't. There'd been a wall around her heart for twelve years now and the last person she would ever let pull it down is Nathan Scott.

"I'm here to stay for a little while actually. I've been so busy the last… well for a long time and now that I've retired I want to catch up with Coop and Beth… and the people who were a big part of my life before my career took over, ya know?."

Haley's eyes widened in surprise both at the news that he'd retired, something that hadn't even been reported in the news yet… and she'd never admit to following his career, but more so at the way he was obviously including her as one of those people who'd been a big part of his life. She quickly masked her surprised expression with one of indifference. He was sure to recognize the look; he'd use it with her more than enough times during the last summer they spent here.

"Well that's… nice. I'm going home in a couple of days but I'm sure I'll see you before I leave. See you 'round." She called, already heading off towards Cooper's cabin before Nathan could get a chance to stop her. Coop had conveniently escaped her attempts to corner him alone the night before and she needed to speak with him… and possibly kill him for not letting her know about his nephew's visit.

Sliding open the glass door of the holiday cabin, Haley heard the shower running and called out to let him know she was there. Placing two mugs on the bench she waited for the kettle to boil and had coffee ready by the time he appeared dressed jeans, still unbuttoned and wife beater. She knew most women would be drooling in her position and she wouldn't deny that Cooper Lee was a damn fine looking man, but she'd just never felt any physical attraction. Considering she'd grown up with him being like an older brother – one that she actually got closer to than any of her actual older brothers – she figured it was probably normal that she couldn't see him any other way.

"What? No firing squad?"

"You deserve one!" Haley growled, placing his mug down in front of him before sliding next to him into the booth-like seat that was standard for all of these older style cabins.

"I'm sorry Hales, I honestly didn't know he was going to show up yesterday."

She watched him suspiciously. "But you did know he was probably going to show up at some stage didn't you?"

"… Can't I plead the fifth or something?"

Unable to help herself, she chuckled wondering if he'd ever grow up. When it came to raising his daughter, Cooper was the most responsible man she knew… but when it came to everything else in life he was just a big kid at heart. In truth it was part of why she loved him so much. She hated to think what her life would be like without Cooper and Beth. Living only a couple of towns over, Haley spent a lot of time in the Lee household trying to help out wherever she could, whether it be watching Beth when Coop needed someone he could trust, helping out with household stuff or stepping in when a more motherly role needed to be filled.

"Can't you get rid of him?" she pouted childishly.

Coop smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into a side hug. "I know it's hard on you but it's been a long time Haley. You've changed since then; you're stronger and all grown up… and I know Nathan's changed too."

"I don't care." She huffed, being uncharacteristically petulant.

"Aw, don't sulk. I've had enough of that from Miss Beth this morning."

"Really? She seemed fine earlier… more than fine actually." Rolling her eyes, Haley continued sarcastically, "She was blossoming under Nathan's attentions. God, even six year olds can't resist his charm."

"Sad but true. Actually that would have made her day. She was in a snoot this morning because I told her she couldn't live in Nathan's cabin while he's here. I can just see she's going to stick to her favorite Uncle Nathan like glue."

"Hmmph. I thought I was her favorite. She's supposed to love me best." Haley whined, pouting playfully, but also not liking the idea that Nathan could just stroll in after being too busy for his family for years and just insert himself into their lives… well, into her life was the main concern.

"Well you know I'll always love you best." He teased, kissing her cheek.

The sound of a throat clearing broke the playful atmosphere and Haley, much to her chagrin, blushed guiltily as she found Nathan practically glaring at the two of them accusingly. "Bad time?"

"Nate. Grab a seat, man." Coop said ignoring his nephew's jealous act. It was quite amusing.

"As long as I'm not interrupting anything."

Haley resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She'd seen this side of Nathan once before - that last summer when he'd been ignoring her and she'd found some new friends - he'd somehow thought it was his place to 'protect' her from some of the other teenage boys; he may as well have cocked his leg and marked her as his territory. He'd had no right to do it then and not only was it completely unnecessary, but he had even less right now after everything that had happened.

"I see nothing's changed in all these years. You're still waltzing into my cabin and being a pain in the ass." Coop joked, hugging Haley and popping a kiss on her forehead before standing up. "I'll just get changed, and then we can head out to the track and see if you remember how to handle a race car. You're still cool to watch Beth, yeah?"

Haley's alarmed gaze flew first to Cooper and then across to Nathan. She'd long ago stopped worrying about Cooper's obsession with racing because he'd been doing it for years, but the thought of Nathan racing around a track without the same experience made her stomach drop. Trying to cover her initial reaction, she smiled and nodded her head, avoiding Nathan's piercing gaze. "Yeah of course. I'm watching Mattie later as well so she'll have a great time playing 'nanny'. I should go though… you know, got stuff to do first."

Nathan watched her practically bolt out of the door and sent a questioning look in his Uncle's direction.

"What?" Coop laughed, knowing exactly what had Nathan's boxers in a twist.

"That!" he exclaimed gesturing between the other man and the doorway where Haley had just exited.

"You're going to need to use your 'big words' Nathan. I know you can do it." He teased, enjoying every moment of riling his nephew up. The low growling sound Nathan emitted only making him chuckle further. He loved his nephew; had considered him more of a younger brother than anything else, but if he had intentions of going after Haley then he was damn well going to have to work hard for her. Nathan had screwed up all those years ago and to this day he didn't know all the details, but he'd seen how shattered Haley had been and as far as he was concerned, his nephew had a lot to make up for.

"You've missed a lot over the years Nate. You may have pretty much disappeared over the years, but Haley hasn't. She's a part of our lives."

"Yeah, well that's obvious." Nathan grumbled, half pissed off at the thought of Haley being so ingrained in Cooper's life and half pissed off at himself for putting his career above family for so long.

"Get over it, Nate. I'm serious. You fucked up with her and if she doesn't want to repair the friendship then you'll have to deal with it because she's not going anywhere."

Nathan bit his tongue and clenched his fists, resisting the urge to act on his turbulent emotions. He loved Coop, but for the first time in his life he seriously wanted to hit him. He knew his uncle well enough to know that there was no way he was going to get a straight answer while he was in this kind of mood… and surely he was looking too much into what he just saw. God, Haley was more than ten years younger than his uncle. There was no way anything was going on between them… was there? The thought made his blood boil, but he'd have to keep a lid on his emotions until he figured out what the hell was going on. He'd thought moving in with Coop and Beth for a while was a good idea; not only would he be able to spend more time with his family but he'd liked the idea of Tree Hill not being too far away. From the sound of things she practically lived with them too… only he had no idea if she'd been using a guest bedroom like he would be… or if she'd been sharing Cooper's.

"_Haley? Are you okay?"_

_The girl looked up to find Taylor standing hesitantly in her doorway looking more uncomfortable than she'd ever seen her. It was quite amusing actually._

"_Sure, Tay. I'm fine."_

"_Okay, let's cut the crap. You've been sulking in your room since you guys got back from the beach. It's been two weeks and you haven't fought with me once!"_

_Haley chuckled wondering how dysfunctional their sisterly relationship was if it was a matter of concern that they _hadn't_ been fighting. She was touched though, that her sister cared enough to notice and see if she was alright. They were like oil and water, and fought more than they talked but she knew Taylor loved her… and the feeling was mutual._

"_You can tell me anything you know." Taylor said in a voice that was as serious as Haley had ever heard from her. "I promise not to tell anyone."_

_Sitting up on the bed, Haley made room for Taylor to join her and they sat in silence for a few minutes, Haley not knowing where to begin._

"_Who is he?" Tay asked with an indulgent smile._

_Mouth agape, Haley shook her head wondering how her sister could be so on the mark when usually it appeared that she didn't even notice you were alive. "Nathan."_

"_The boy from the beach? Yeah I've heard Mom and Dad talking about him. You've got a crush huh?"_

_Haley laughed mirthlessly. "I guess you could call it that. I thought it was more and I thought he… now I don't know anything."_

"_Did he hurt you?" Taylor practically growled and when Haley couldn't look at her she clenched her fists._

"_No Tay, I'm fine."_

"_You are not 'fine' Haley. You're walking around like every day is a funeral. I hear you crying sometimes at night." Taking Haley's hand she continued, "It's just not you, Hales. I want my sister back!"_

_Seeing just how much her sister loved her was too much to handle and Haley's eyes welled up with tears. She'd been allowing herself a little time each night to let them out, but for the most part she'd been holding them in, trying to put on a front for her family - obviously she hadn't been doing a very good job – but she'd been trying all the same. _

"_Aw Bub. Come here." Taylor reached for her sister and hugged her tightly, holding her through her sobs. She may not be the best sister in the world; she knew she was selfish and spoilt and not nearly as good a person as Haley, but she loved her little sister and hated seeing her hurting. She held her through the tears and through her recounting of what happened at the beach, biting her tongue when what she really wanted to do was rant and rave about this boy who'd broken her sisters heart… but it wasn't what Haley needed so she kept quiet, stroking her hair and comforting her the best way she could. _

"_Thank you Tay." Haley whispered, pulling out of her sister's arms wondering just how long they'd been there._

"_Any time Haleybub. I love you and I've got your back okay?"_

"_How very ghetto of you." Haley teased, feeling better already._

"_Shut up twerp." Tay joked, ruffling her sister's hair. "I'm serious though. If I ever see Nathan Scott he better be ready to lose his manhood because that boy will not walk away from me with his balls still intact."_

"_I love you Tay." Haley threw herself at her sister, laughing as they rolled and tumbled off the bed._

"_I love you too, even if you are a pain in the ass… literally." The elder James sister groaned, rubbing her behind after the fall. "Forget about Nathan Scott, Bub. You can do so much better than him."_

"Oh, little Sis… you were holding out on me. You never once told me just how fine that man is in person. I mean he's hot on TV… but even better face to face." Taylor whispered joining her at the table where they had the food spread out.

Haley's jaw dropped. Was it possible that no one but her was immune to Nathan's charms… even older sisters who'd threatened him bodily harm?

"I know what you're thinking Bub, but that was a long time ago. Time changes people… and time has definitely been good to him." Taylor tilted her head as she watched Nathan talking with their father at the barbeque.

"Do I need to remind you that your husband is sitting just over there?" Haley asked sarcastically knowing that while her sister may talk a good game, flirt shamelessly and admire from afar, she was totally devoted to Luke. Lucas Roe was a lawyer she worked with at their father's firm and while Jimmy had tried to set him up with Haley five years ago, there had been no sparks but they still remained close friends. The sparks didn't happen until Luke and Taylor had met. Then it had been fireworks all 'round. She was so happy for both of them. They had a wonderful little family.

Taylor grinned and waved at her husband who was currently feeding their nine month old son Mattie, and Haley felt her chest tighten with envy. She wanted that; the loving husband, the beautiful children… a family of her own.

"Speaking of Mr. Hot Shot basketballer… he certainly seems interested in you Hales." Taylor announced with a smirk. "He's been glancing at you all day."

"Whatever. Do you even remember what I told you about him?"

"You mean how nineteen year old Nathan broke your sixteen year old heart? How long ago was that exactly… twelve years?"

Haley frowned at her sister's remark. She knew how much it had hurt her and she was making fun… trivializing it? "Nice Tay. Real nice."

Sighing, her sister placed her food down and wrapped an arm around Haley's shoulders. "I'm sorry Haley. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings… but it's clear to me that you never really let go of what happened. Everyone always thought I'd be the unmarried one and you'd have settled down and had a billion babies by now… but that hasn't happened and I think you need to learn to forgive Nathan and move on. He seems like he's grown up into a nice guy. Luke thinks he's great and you know he's a good judge of character."

"So what… you think I should forget about what happened just throw myself at him because he's 'hot' and he's 'changed'?"

"Of course not Bub. I'm just saying that for years I've watched you sit on the sidelines, being there for everyone else but not creating the life you want for yourself." Smiling sadly, Taylor continued, 'I see the way you watch me and Luke and I know you long for what we have. I'm not saying this to be hurtful, but because I love you and I think you need to hear it. You could have what we have but you've got yourself so closed off that you're sabotaging your own happiness. If you find yourself with feelings for Nathan again… see where they take you. If you don't… then forget him but you need to try Haley; really try to open up to someone and let them into that heart of yours because it's the best heart I know."

Haley felt a tear slip down her cheek and took in a shaky breath as Taylor wiped it away. Her sister - who really had become surprising insightful over the years – was right. It was hard hearing it, but it was the truth. She'd never find the happiness she wanted if she continued going the way she was. It certainly didn't mean she had to include Nathan in her plans; if she was lucky she'd be able to avoid seeing him again, but she would definitely try harder to be open to love. She wanted love. She wanted it all.

She tried not to let it play on her mind, but she sailed through the lunch barely uttering a word, too lost in her own thoughts to keep up with the lively conversation around her. Occasionally Beth would come and want to sit on her lap and it was a welcome distraction, but soon she'd find something more amusing and leave Haley alone with her thoughts once again. Coming out of her daze she noticed Nathan watching her intently and her heart skipped a beat. She needed to get out of here. She already had her bag packed and her car keys in her pocket ready to go.

"You're going already Bub?" Lydia asked, hugging her daughter to her tightly. "I don't want you to leave."

"Yes, well I have to head home because Daddy doesn't want me treated any differently to his other staff. Funny how Luke gets time off though…" she grumbled, poking her tongue out at her brother-in-law.

"That's different. Luke has my grandson to spend time with." Jimmy offered by way of explanation.

"So what you're saying is that if I want to take holidays I should go get myself knocked up?" she asked in a sickly sweet voice, enjoying the thought of her father coughing and spluttering over his response.

"Of course not Bub! Don't be silly… besides you know that if you decided that meeting a man and settling down isn't quite the lifestyle you're after that we'd support you anyway, right?"

Haley groaned. Her mother had recently decided the only reason her beautiful, single, successful daughter is not currently on the prowl for a man is because she's a closet lesbian. "I'm not gay, Mom."

"Of course she's not. Give it up, honey." Jimmy laughed, shaking his head.

"What? All I'm saying is that it might be kind of interesting to have a lesbian in the family…"

"I am not a lesbian." Haley's cheeks reddened as she realized this debate was happening in front of half her family as well as Nathan Scott.

"Well then it shouldn't be too difficult for you to settle down and give me some more grandbabies, should it? There is no shortage of good men at home Haleybub… why I'm sure there might even be one or two around here." Jimmy said looking over in the direction of where Nathan and Cooper were watching the conversation with amused smiles. Haley's eyes widened a fraction as Nathan's gaze locked with hers, a slight smirk appearing… then she looked beside him to Cooper who wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and she grinned at him; both of them were used to Jimmy's hints about their friendship and how it could some day be more. There was no way that would ever happen but her father's comments always amused them both.

Her grin faded however when her eyes moved away from Cooper and back to his nephew who was looking between the two of them with a glacial expression. She could practically hear his mind working, trying to figure out if there was something going on between the two of them. He was pissed… really pissed… and the way that made her feel was wrong; she should not get a thrill from Nathan's jealousy. She shouldn't care what he thought. She shouldn't be thinking about how hot he looked when he was angry. Oh crap.

"I'm gonna go now." She muttered before saying some hasty goodbyes and getting in her car, tearing out of the holiday park like her life depended on it. Her life was perfectly safe of course… it was her heart she worried about. She was pretty sure Nathan Scott could be a serious danger to her heart if she let him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Taking It Back

**Summary:** They say there's a right time for everything. Everything happens for a reason. Patience is a virtue. Blah. Blah. Blah. Well Nathan Scott says that you decide what you want and you take it. Haley James doesn't stand a chance.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for your fabulous feedback! It always helps to know that readers are enjoying a new story and the direction that you're taking it. I'm sorry it's taken a little while to update this but I have two other fics in progress as well so it's a matter of juggling all three and writing what you get inspired to write at the time. Thank you to Dawn and Molly for all of their assistance with this update.

* * *

Nathan glanced around the room at the now seated guests, taking in their unmistakably expensive outfits; the women dripping in jewels, their dresses costing more than the average person's weekly paycheck and the men in traditional 'penguin suits'. Yes, tonight would be a success and he felt convinced he'd made the right decision to set up here; that it had been a wise business decision, not just an excuse to be closer to one Haley James.

"Congratulations, Nathan."

At the sound of the familiar voice he turned with a smile. "Thanks Rosemary. I really couldn't have done any of this without you and Phillip."

"Nonsense… this is your baby, Nathan… but we're honored to be a part of it."

"It means a lot to me that I have your support." Nathan whispered as she gave him a motherly hug. They'd been brought together under the direst of circumstances but the friendship they'd built over the years meant the world to him.

"Always. Phillip and I are so proud of you and everything you've achieved. You're a good man, Nathan Scott."

He swallowed the lump in his throat, unused to such praise from anyone in his life… and coming from these people made it all the more special. He hadn't harbored a lot of faith in himself for a long, long time and this couple had helped restore it. If these people could care for him then there was hope that others could, that Haley could.

"It's show time. Go on up there and do your thing, Rosie."

Nathan took his seat at the table to the right of the stage where the other foundation staff and their partners sat clapping as Rosemary took the stage. She'd been doing this for a couple of years now; charming the wealthy into donating generously to the cause. She'd been hesitant about taking on the spokesperson role for Out Of The Blue, but she lived and breathed this foundation and her passion and belief came through in every word she spoke. The exclusivity and big name attendees drew most of the guests and got them paying exorbitant prices for their tickets, but it was her passionate intensity that had these people taking out their check books during the event.

His eyes roamed the room watching how the guests responded to their emcee, but soon locked on a familiar yet surprising face. Haley James was seated at a table near the back of the room, sipping a glass of wine and listening intently. It had been almost a week since he'd seen her at the beach and thoughts of her had been prominent in his mind, yet seeing her here was a complete shock. What on earth was she doing here? He was certain she didn't travel in these circles and he doubted she had money to burn like the other guests. When she turned with a smile to the man seated next to her Nathan felt a jolt of hot white jealousy run through him, searing him from the inside out. It was ridiculous, he knew it was; he had no claim over this woman who had held a place in his heart for years, but who he'd hurt so long ago. But even that knowledge didn't stop him from balling his hands into fists and thinking of how he'd prefer to wrap those hands around the other man's neck. His first instinct was to go to her. He'd been thinking about her for months now, but after seeing her again at the beach his thoughts of her being 'the one' for him had ceased to be just thoughts; he knew now with everything in him that Haley James was the woman for him. He just had to win her heart which meant winning back her trust. He'd have to be patient which would be difficult, especially for a man used to getting his way, but seeing the love and respect in her eyes when she looked at him again the way she had all those years ago would make it all worth it.

Haley usually avoided these kinds of benefits – not because she didn't think they were great causes, she did and donated what she could, but because she never felt like she fit in – but when her father had asked if she'd accompany another colleague to represent the firm, she'd agreed. The Out Of The Blue Foundation had been founded several years earlier and was doing great work in larger cities throughout the country, and they'd recently set up here choosing to work with her father's firm – the most respected in the area.

She applauded as Rosemary Jenkins stepped off the stage after outlining the work of the foundation and thanking everyone for coming and showing their support. It was obvious the woman believed in her work and she definitely had Haley wishing she had more money to part with this evening.

"Looks like it's time for an intermission before the auction begins. I'm going to the bar, would you like something?" Her colleague Michael Stern asked as he stood.

"I'm driving so just water for me please."

"Sure, I'll be back in a moment."

Haley watched the crowd mingle, feeling slightly insecure as she took in the designer labels the women were wearing and compared them to her own 'on-sale designer rip off' dress she'd purchased two years ago for such occasions. Looking for a distraction, she searched for her cell phone in her purse and found she had one missed call. Retrieving the message she smiled widely as she heard Beth's happy voice gushing about how exciting her birthday party would be the next day and how many presents she was going to get and then ending the call by saying goodnight. Haley had been there so often during Beth's childhood to tuck her in or wish her sweet dreams over the phone that the girl wouldn't go to bed without first saying goodnight to her Aunty Haley.

"You look happy."

She froze, her body reacting traitorously to the sound of Nathan's voice as she turned her head to find him sitting in Michael's vacated chair, smiling at her in that sexy way she could resist from any man except him… why did everything he did have to be so damn sexy?

"Nathan. This is a surprise… you seem to be making a habit of surprising me." She'd meant to sound sarcastic, but instead she found herself smiling back at him.

"Seeing you here tonight is pure coincidence, I promise."

"And what about at the beach, was that a coincidence?" Her face flamed as she realized what she'd implied; that he had changed his plans for her. That after twelve years of staying away, he had ventured to the summer holiday spot just for her. She could die of embarrassment.

Deciding to avoid answering that question Nathan nodded towards her cell phone sitting on the table. "You looked happy listening to your messages before. Boyfriend calling?"

Haley's brow rose at the way he casually asked the question even though she could see the intensity in his eyes as he waited for a response. The boy was definitely fishing.

"Beth actually. She never goes to bed without saying goodnight."

Nathan's smile matched her own as the little girl became the focus of their conversation. She stole the heart of every adult that entered her life.

"I spoke to her earlier about her party tomorrow. I feel sorry for Coop trying to get her to sleep tonight." He chuckled thinking about it. "You guys are pretty close then?"

Haley didn't have to think how to respond to that question. "I've watched her grow up since the day she was born. I love her to pieces. She's a part of my family."

"And Coop. Is he a part of your family too?" His eyes watched her questioningly with just a hint of challenge.

Haley still couldn't believe he really thought there was something going on between her and his uncle. It was wrong, but she enjoyed the knowledge of how much it affected him and decided there was no hurry in negating his assumption.

"Well I have known him a long time." She offered vaguely.

"Yeah… he's almost like a father to you." Nathan quickly blurted, internally chastising himself for not playing it cooler.

"Yeah… if my father were younger, hotter and more fun." She joked, watching his jaw clench. Why was this so much fun? Oh yeah… she still hadn't let go of what happened twelve years ago. He seemed to have changed, let go of his demons from when he younger but she had no way of knowing. For all she knew he'd been living the high life of a top NBA star enjoying the fame, the money… the women. Who knew what kind of man Nathan Scott was now underneath that designer suit and notoriety. She'd thought she'd known him once and she'd been dead wrong… she wasn't sure if she could afford to try to find out again.

Before Nathan could respond, Michael returned from the bar reaching across them to place her water on the table.

"Nathan. How are you?"

"I'm good, Micheal. How are you?"

Haley looked between the two as they talked comfortably, obviously knowing each other. How on earth was that possible? Nathan had been living the high life in New York for years and she doubted that he traveled in Michael's circles.

Eying the cell on the table, Michael rolled his eyes good naturedly and chuckled. "Let me guess… it was your husband or daughter."

Blushing, Haley smacked him playfully. "That joke hasn't gotten any funnier since the first time."

"Husband or daughter?" Nathan asked as casually as he could.

"Cooper or Beth. When it come to Haley, it's always Beth this or Cooper that. I swear she may as well be married to the guy. You know him?"

Nathan nodded, never taking his intense gaze off Haley's face. "He's my uncle, actually."

"Oh, well you'd know what it's like then."

Never taking his gaze of a blushing Haley, he responded. "I'm beginning to see."

"He's exaggerating…" Haley trailed off uncomfortably.

"Nathan. There you are."

Haley looked up to see Rosemary Jenkins approaching, watching Nathan with a wide smile. Her first thought was to wonder if Nathan was having it off with this older, yet beautiful woman… and she wondered why the thought stirred up jealousy within her. It was none of her business who Nathan was sleeping with.

"Hi Rosie." Nathan responded, standing to greet her with a smile and putting his arm around her waist before introducing her to the other two guests.

"Rosie, I'd like you to meet Michael Stern and Haley James."

The older woman smiled and shook each of their hands. "Michael and I have spoken on the phone before. Are you Michael's date for this evening?" she asked Haley.

"No!" Nathan said forcefully, then realizing his blunder, he tried no to look uncomfortable and stood silently as Haley explained that she was Michael's colleague in her father's firm.

"Oh, so you've met Nathan before?" Rosie asked interestedly and Nathan just knew what was running through her head. She'd been trying to convince him to find a nice girl to settle down with for a couple of years now.

Nathan responded for her. "Haley and I have known each other for years. Our families vacationed together."

"Oh how lovely. You must be so proud of Nathan then. I know we are… my husband, Phillip and I." Rosie began and Nathan tried to cut her off, not wanting Haley to know his part in this yet, but she continued unaware of his subtle hinting for her to stop. "He's put so much time and effort into getting this foundation off the ground. None of this would have been possible without him."

Haley watched Nathan with interest, Rosemary's words sinking in and confusing her already complex feelings about Nathan Scott. This was his foundation? Out of the Blue was dedicated to helping teens with depression, suicide prevention and helping families deal with the loss of a child who'd taken their own life. The news was so out of left field that it felt like her brain couldn't process it.

Watching Haley struggle to comprehend the news and seeing the surprised and questioning look in her eyes, Nathan knew he had to get her alone.

"You are my biggest… and most biased supporter, Rosie." He replied with a shaky smile, embarrassed by the way Haley still hadn't taken her curious eyes off him. He turned his attention back to Haley and offered his hand. "Will you dance with me, Hales?"

Although the request was casual, looking into his eyes she could see he was almost pleading with her not to deny him. It really wasn't in her nature to be so freeze someone out the way she had with him… and twelve years was a long time. Maybe it was better to just let it all go. This new information about him was forcing her to reassess who she thought he was and it was so hard to reconcile this Nathan with the Nathan she'd been so angry with for so long. When she'd seen him occasionally in the media it had been easy to peg him as shallow and uncaring and every other thing she wanted him to be so that remembering what had happened between them would be easier. Hating him would be easier. But she'd never hated him… no matter how many times she'd tried to convince herself she did, it was never true.

"Sure." She mumbled, standing up and following him out onto the small dance floor, the feel of his larger calloused hand surrounding hers making her feel oddly giddy. He gathered her into his arms, holding her closer than necessary and probably closer than etiquette allowed, but she didn't fight him on it… she couldn't. There was something about being held by him that made her feel safe, something she'd never felt with anyone else since her father had held her as a little girl… yet this was also completely different. She felt safe, but she knew it was dangerous because her body was reacting to his, to the nearness of him. She could smell his cologne which was intoxicating to her and let out a little sigh as she rested her head on his shoulder, only able to do so because of the high, high heels she was wearing. She knew she had to be careful around him, that he was her weakness, but just for now, just for this dance she'd let go and enjoy a stolen moment with the boy who'd been in her heart for as long as she could remember.

* * *

_After enduring a miserable summer of trying to repair her broken friendship with Nathan, but not being able to break through the walls he'd put up, for reasons she still couldn't figure out, Haley was allowing herself to enjoy the attentions of the local boys. She'd really come into her own in the past year and she knew that boys had started noticing her and her newly ripened curves… even if none of those boys was the person she wanted to notice her. The problem with flirting was that sometimes guys didn't seem to realize that that's all it was. It didn't equal a free pass to get into your pants._

"_So, you coming to the after party?" _

_Haley tried not to grimace at the boy who'd been flirting with her all night. She'd had no idea if her own flirtations had been effective, but she'd seen Taylor playing it up for the opposite sex for years now and liked to think she was a quick study. From the way this guy was almost drooling over her salaciously… she figured she'd done a damn good job of it._

"_I'm not sure. Why?"_

_Wrapping his arm around her shoulder he leaned in close. "Because it's not worth going to if you're not there."_

_Rather than enjoy the attention, Haley struggled not to squirm away from the boy. Did Taylor actually like being pawed like this and hearing those cheesy lines? She was about to pull away when she looked up to find Nathan storming over to them. Her first thought was to thank god that he was coming over and she could get away from this guys grabby-hands, but then she remembered the reason she'd been doing this in the first place – to prove she didn't need him and just because he thought she wasn't good enough, didn't mean that other boys wouldn't want her._

"_Get your hands off her. Now!"_

_Haley quickly looked around to make sure that the rest of the people at the 4__th__ of July party hadn't heard Nathan's command before she glared at him and allowed herself a smirk when the boy responded. "Hey man. She likes it here with me. Go find your own chick alright."_

_For all his bravado, the teenager quickly dropped his arm from around Haley when Nathan stepped forward with a threatening scowl. He sent a glare in Nathan's direction and then looked Haley up and down. "Whatever. There're plenty more girls here."_

"_Did he hurt you? That guys a creep, Hales. Stay away from him."_

"_You had no right to do that, Nathan." She said softly, struggling to be mad when she was actually relieved that creep had moved on to find someone else. _

"_I had every right! You're my friend and I won't let some guy take advantage of you."_

"_My friend?" she laughed humorously. "Right. Well if friends ignore other friends for weeks – no months!, yell at them for no reason and generally act like assholes… then I guess you are my friend." Before she even realized it, Nathan had walked her back over to the area of the party where their families were celebrating._

"_Haleybub! There you are!" Lydia said, before patting Nathan's arm. "Thank you for finding her."_

"_I wasn't lost, Mom." The sixteen year old barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes and couldn't hold back a small smile when she saw Nathan chuckling at her._

_Jimmy James joined them next and put an arm around his daughters shoulder, and one around Nathan's – not an easy feat considering the younger man was now taller than him – and walked them towards an area where couples were dancing. "Haley has prom coming up this year and I can't dance to save myself, so why don't you take her for a spin around the dance floor, Nathan. She needs the practice."_

_Haley's mouth dropped as Nathan took her hand ready to lead them onto the makeshift dance floor which simply just a grassy area next to the sand. "Prom isn't until next year. I don't need to learn right now."_

"_C'mon Bub. You and Nathan always have a dance." Jimmy said with a puzzled frown, looking between the two._

_She felt Nathan squeeze her hand tightly before pulling her onto the dance floor. "You know what your parents are like. Do you really want to be bombarded with questions about why you won't dance with me?"_

_Haley huffed and turned her head, but began dancing anyway. He was right; her parents had already shown concern about the fact the once inseparable duo had barely said more than a few words to each other all summer._

"_Haley?" When she continued to ignore him Nathan released her hand and tilted her chin up so she would look at him. "Hales. Will you please look at me?"_

_She was hurt and she was angry and those feelings were just intensified by the fact that she knew she couldn't hide them as he looked into her eyes. She wanted to be indifferent; to show him that he meant as little to her as she apparently did to him. But it wasn't true and just how much she cared was shining in her eyes as she struggle not to cry in front of him._

"_I'm sorry, Haleybub." He whispered, wiping away a stray tear off her cheek. "I never meant to hurt you. I promise you that."_

"_Then why are you? Why are you treating me like… like nothing?"_

_They didn't even realize they were still dancing, their feet moving on autopilot and their minds blocking out all of the other dancers around them. She watched him take a deep breath and when he looked into her eyes she was taken aback with how empty they seemed. No, empty wasn't the right word. This boy, well man now, was filled with so many emotions, the prominent ones being guilt and shame. What on earth was going on with him?_

"_Nathan?"_

"_Things have happened… and I've changed. I'm not the same guy you knew. I'm not someone you should want to know anymore."_

_She watched him carefully, tempted to label his words meaningless and just a lame excuse… and she may have if it wasn't for the pain in his eyes. Something had happened and if she knew Nathan Scott – and she believed she knew him better than anyone – he'd never want to let her down or disappoint her. Keeping whatever it was that was bothering him a secret would be his choice of how to handle things. _

"_Please tell me, Nathan. Let me help you."_

"_You can't help me, Haley. I can't… I can't talk about this with anyone, not even you."_

_She tried not to show how much it hurt her to know he didn't think he could trust her with this, but she was never good at hiding anything from him. "I understand." She replied in a brittle voice, pulling away as the song ended._

_He tightened the hold his arm had around her back. "No. Please don't think this has anything to do with you, because it doesn't. I'm so sorry for the way I've been since I arrived. You don't deserve to be treated that way, I just knew if you knew something was wrong you'd try to make me tell you and it's not something I want to talk about."_

"_If I promise not to force you to talk about it… do you think we could be friends… like before?" she asked tentatively._

_Nathan mentally sighed. They could never be friends like before, not when he was feeling things for her that he knew he shouldn't. But seeing her hopeful face, he knew he couldn't hurt again so he nodded and gave a small smile. "Sure."_

_She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled back at him. It would be hard trying to avoid the issue that so obviously had Nathan upset, but she would try… and maybe he'd confide in her anyway. Even though the words had been said, it still didn't feel like old times. They didn't feel like friends because she was pretty sure your skin wasn't supposed to tingle at their touch and your heart wasn't supposed to race just having them near. Hopefully Nathan wouldn't notice. _

"_Okay friend. Let's go get some food. I'm starving."_

* * *

Haley was brought out of her reverie as her stomach grumbled loudly. She heard and felt Nathan chuckling at the sound and blushed. "Well that was attractive." She stated dryly, trying to get over the embarrassment.

"I'll never understand why they serve ridiculously expensive yet tiny portions of food at these events when they could just as easily serve a full adult meal for half the cost. I should talk to my event planner about that." He hoped his change of topic would put her at ease.

"It was a lovely meal, Nathan, I just didn't have time to stop for lunch today so I'm pretty much running on empty." She offered, not wanting him to feel badly about the event. "Besides, I'd say this crowd is used to these events running a certain way."

"I probably sound ungrateful considering these people and their donations keep the foundation running… but I still feel uncomfortable amongst them, like I don't really belong."

She sent him a teasing smirk and said "Well you certainly don't look out of place. You look very handsome tonight."

Nathan was surprised by her flirting, but very, very pleased. Smiling down at her, he brushed a loose curl away from her face trying not to focus too much on her plump lips which looked good enough to eat with their light pink gloss. God he wanted to kiss her… which was why he quickly lifted his gaze to connect with her own and he realized that it didn't matter where he looked – he'd always want to kiss her.

"And you… you look stunning, Haley. You stand out from the rest of the crowd." He whispered, not breaking eye contact, the connection between the two of them sizzling.

Trying to break the charged atmosphere, Haley gave a self-deprecating chuckle and looked at the other women around them. "Well thanks for saying so… but I'm pretty sure the only reason I'd be standing out is because my designer knock-off is obviously a knock-off next to the rest of these dresses.

Tilting her chin up in a way that reminded her of their last dance all those years ago, Nathan looked down at her seriously. "It's not your dress that makes you stand out, Haley. It's you… just you. You're the most beautiful woman in the room and I'm taking delight in knowing that every guy here wishes you were in their arms instead of mine."

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized that she was leaning against him, their faces moving closer together. This couldn't happen. She could put aside the past and build a new friendship with Nathan. She enjoyed his company; he made her laugh and when she wasn't worried about her feelings for him he made her feel at ease, but she could not fall in love with him again. Friendship was the best they could ever hope for.

She'd learned that he wasn't the same guy she'd been building in her mind for the past twelve years and instead was a person she admired. She didn't want to harbor this ill-feeling toward him anymore. It was hard work being angry at someone all the time, not to mention being out of character for her… and then there was Beth; she adored her uncle Nathan, and Haley didn't want her to pick up on bad vibes between them. They probably wouldn't have to see each other often, but they were bound to cross paths occasionally because of Cooper and his little girl. If she nipped this attraction between them in the bud, then she was sure they could be friends.

Pulling away, she smiled at him, ignoring his look of disappointment. "Thank you for the dance, Nathan."

He watched her turn and walk away before he could think of anything that would stop her. She may be running away from him, from them, but he felt more positive than ever. It was still there between them. Not just the sexual awareness that had come into play during their last summer together, but the emotional connection that had always bridged every gap that other people saw and decided made them an odd pairing. Their connection had always transcended their age difference, their different backgrounds and their opposite personalities. There was something that just made them Nathan and Haley. He fought back a grin and decided to head to the bar for a celebratory drink.

As she walked to her car after the benefit had ended, Haley could feel Nathan's hand against her back, guiding her through the car park. She'd avoided being alone with him for the rest of the night, but had found herself chatting with Rosemary and Phillip Jenkins who she found to be a wonderful couple and who obviously thought the world of Nathan. She was curious about the connection, but they didn't offer an explanation of how they came to know him and she felt it wasn't her place to pry. Nathan had accompanied the group soon after and the topic moved on to the foundation and the work they were doing locally. Nathan had sat next to her, but maintained a suitable distance… unfortunately she was so attuned to him that she'd had trouble concentrating on anything else. She'd enjoyed herself though, and the night had flown by until she realized that they were the last ones left at the venue.

"This is yours?" Nathan asked as they approached one of the last remaining cars in the lot.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak as the heat of his skin seared her through the fabric of her dress and she remembered how she'd felt on the dance floor earlier in his arms. Even though she'd been completely turned on by his touch, he'd made her feel at ease with his jokes and friendly banter… until that almost kiss, but she was putting that out of her mind. It wouldn't happen again. Since he'd charged back into her life less than a week ago she'd been so busy trying to remain angry with him that she'd forgotten how much fun he was to be around and the prospect of becoming friends again didn't scare her. But that didn't mean she would let her guard down completely. She was doing this for Beth. That's all. She just wanted to make things comfortable for Beth. That was her story and she was sticking to it.

"You didn't have to walk me to my car, Nathan."

"Mine's out here too and I don't like you walking in the dark by yourself. It's not a problem." He responded easily, gesturing to a dark SUV a couple of spots over. He opened her door wider as she tugged the hem of her evening dress inside.

"Well. Thank you for the dance. I had a good time." She offered with a small smile, ignoring his look which showed he knew just how good of a time she'd had.

"Me too. It was really great spending time with you again, Hales. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" her head jerked up at his comment.

"Beth's birthday party tomorrow at the beach. You are going, aren't you?"

"Yes, of course. Sorry, I just didn't realize you'd be there. I didn't know you were working here now with the foundation and…" Haley shook her head, cursing her tendency to ramble when nervous. "Well, I just wasn't thinking."

Nathan suppressed a chuckle, enjoying the nostalgia of seeing Haley's nervous behavior and knowing that being near him made her nervous. It just reaffirmed the mutual attraction.

"Damn it!" She sighed as she turned the key in the ignition again and again nothing happened. This stupid piece of crap car was always breaking down on her! She realized she'd cut him off and apologized. "Sorry. My car won't start."

Nathan hid a smirk, realizing this was his chance to spend a little more time with her. "It's no problem. I'll give you a ride home."

Haley thought about arguing but didn't really like the idea of waiting for a tow at this time of night, so she offered a thankful smile and removed her overnight bag from the back seat. "I'm staying at Coopers."

She noted Nathan's surprise and quickly added. "I knew I'd have to drive to the beach in the morning and it's closer than my place. It's also closer for you to drop me off."

Nathan nodded, taking the bag from her and leading her over to his car. This was certainly an interesting evening and it just got a hell of a lot more interesting.

Most of the drive was spent in silence. Haley pretended to find the dark, empty streets enthralling and attempted to stop her hands from fidgeting. Nathan stole glances across at her, smiling at the way she acted as if she was fascinated by the scenery cloaked in darkness. Pulling up the drive to Cooper's place he knew it was show time… and just hoped that Haley could see the humor in the situation. After all… it really was Coop's fault.

After Nathan had refused to let her carry her bag, Haley walked up to the front door of her second home. Coop had given her her own key years ago as well as her own room and she always felt comfortable coming and going, just as he and Beth did. Unlocking the door, she turned and took her bag from Nathan.

"Thank you for the lift. I really appreciate it."

"It really was no problem. It wasn't out of the way at all."

"Ok. Well I guess I'll see you at the beach tomorrow." She said walking through the doorway, before almost jumping out of her skin when she turned straight into Nathan's chest.

"Nathan. You can leave now. I got home safe."

"No, I can't leave."

"What? Why?" she asked hesitantly, knowing that his cheeky smirk meant trouble. She was struggling between wanting to bury her face in his chest which was so, so close and wanting to shove that solid chest until was out of the house. Having him so near, in the place where she would sleep was not a good idea. It conjured up all sort of fantasies. He needed to leave. Now.

"I can't leave because I live here." He offered with a shrug, closing the door behind him. "At least for the next couple of months."

Haley felt as if the relatively large house was suddenly way too small… definitely too small to spend the night in it with Nathan. No matter how many walls separated them, it would be too close. Taking a deep breath, she masked her face, hiding the shock and dismay she was feeling and said in a calm, low voice.

"Your uncle is a dead man."

Nathan watched her storm off noticing that even the stiff way she was holding herself couldn't disguise the natural sexy sway of her hips. He groaned softly wondering how he was going to get a wink of sleep knowing that she was in the next room. In the next room in bed. In the next room in bed without him. There was something so very wrong with that picture… but he'd work on it. One day soon he'd have Haley James back in his bed, back in his life… and he'd earn back his place in her heart.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Taking It Back

**Summary:** They say there's a right time for everything. Everything happens for a reason. Patience is a virtue. Blah. Blah. Blah. Well Nathan Scott says that you decide what you want and you take it. Haley James doesn't stand a chance.

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much to who everyone who reviewed the last update and for everyone waiting patiently for this next one. Thanks to **Kris** and **Molly** for their feedback and to **Di** (paradiseblue) for betaing and her great feedback on the update.

* * *

"C'mon Hales, you've been asleep nearly the whole way and now you're going to give me the silent treatment for the last twenty minutes of our trip?" Nathan sighed, glancing across at his passenger. With her car breaking down the night before, she'd grudgingly accepted his offer of a lift to Beth's birthday party… and had been feigning sleep the whole way until he'd purposely driven over a pothole so she'd be unable to realistically continue her charade. He'd hoped to use this car trip as a chance to get to know her again, maybe build up a bit of a friendship. What better opportunity would he have than Haley being stuck in a confined space with him for a couple of hours? Unfortunately things hadn't gone to plan.

Haley knew her anger should really be directed at Cooper, but exhausted after a sleepless night of tossing and turning and thinking about Nathan sleeping in the next room, she wasn't in the most forgiving of moods. Last night as she'd danced in his arms she'd decided to let go of her anger and to allow a friendship to develop between them again. They'd been such good friends once and in all honesty, she'd love to have that with him again… but that was before he'd sprung his surprise living arrangements on her. She hated being put on the spot like that.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"For starters, it's Coop's place and it's his job to tell you that he's got someone living with him if it's going to affect you… and it's not like I had a lot of opportunities. I only knew you were staying there too because you needed a ride last night." He raised his brows thoughtfully. "At least you didn't find out by walking in on me naked in the bathroom."

Thoughts of a naked Nathan toweling himself off after a shower invaded her mind and she felt herself blushing at the thought which only made her madder. "You could have said something on the ride home instead of waiting until I told you to leave!"

Nathan chuckled, knowing the direction her thoughts had taken as well as remembering the look on her face when he'd informed her that he couldn't leave Coop's house because he lived there. He knew he probably should have mentioned something to her, but he'd wanted to wait until they arrived. If he'd told her in the car she was likely to have demanded he take her to her own place, preferring to go out of her way rather than stay under the same roof as him for one night.

"You're right. I probably should have said something but I didn't want you changing your plans because of me."

Giving an unladylike snort, Haley shook her head. "Only you, Nathan Scott, would think my plans would revolve around you."

Waiting for a smart ass response, Haley looked over at him when it never came. Now that her sleeping ruse was over she could allow herself to actually take a good look at the man…. And man did he look good. His outfit was casual; perfect for the occasion of a seven year olds birthday party. His khaki slacks fit him to perfection – something she'd noticed as she followed him out to the car, her eyes mainly focusing on the way they hugged his ass, and his top gave just enough of a hint of his sculpted muscles. She shivered remembering how much his topless state had affected her as a teenager when they'd gone swimming… the effect was ten times more potent now. It really wasn't fair that he had this much of an effect on her as a grown woman.

"You've always been much too independent and strong willed to let a man rule your thoughts or your plans, Hales. It's what I've always loved most about you," Nathan said softly, offering a sincere smile that caught her off guard.

Not knowing how to take his comment or how to respond, Haley mumbled something about being nearly there and turned up the radio to prevent any further conversation. She needed to think. Was that just an off the cuff remark about loving her as a friend, or was Nathan implying that he'd been in love with her? A tiny part of her was joyously relishing the possibility, but after everything that happened between them she couldn't see how that was possible. She'd worked over her feelings, sorting through the memories, pouring over every word he'd said to her, every action he'd taken and although she'd sometimes wondered if he'd had deep feelings and just been scared, eventually she'd just come back to the same conclusion that he hadn't cared for her, instead making her believe he did so that he could get what he wanted. But that didn't reconcile with the boy she'd known for four years or the man she was coming to know again now.

"We're here," Nathan said, as he pulled up outside his cabin for the weekend having passed through the gates of the holiday park without Haley even registering where they were. She'd been lost in thought for almost ten minutes since he'd accidentally dropped the 'L' word. It was the truth. He'd loved her as a friend for years, and then fallen in love with her that last summer and he realized since that he'd never stopped loving her. He hadn't meant to clue her into those feelings yet and scare her off so he planned to back off a little today so as not to spook her completely.

"Thanks for the ride, Nathan. I really appreciate it," Haley offered hastily before unbuckling her seatbelt and exiting the car. She could see the large group already gathered around the outdoor barbeque and play area for the party and made her way over there, not wanting to actually arrive with Nathan. That was just asking for trouble.

"Aunty Haley!" Beth's squeal carried over the top of the children's chatter and the adults' conversation and Haley couldn't help but grin as the little girl jumped off the play equipment and raced over to meet her.

"Hey there, Betty Boop. How's my special birthday girl?"

"I'm good. I got lot of presents from Daddy and from Aunty Lydia and Uncle Jimmy and see that table over there?" The little girl pointed toward a picnic table piled with colorfully wrapped packages of all different sizes. "They're all for me too. Daddy says I'm spoiled. And see my tiara and my pretty pink dress? I already got to open these this morning. Daddy says I'm the prettiest girl here."

"You definitely are, baby."

"Uncle Nate!" The girl saw the dark haired man approaching with a large present and squirmed out of Haley's arms to run to him.

"Hey, Princess. Happy birthday."

"Is that for me?"

"Hmm… I don't know. Are there any other birthday girls here today?" Nathan asked thoughtfully, glancing around the playground.

Beth shook her head adamantly. "It's MY birthday. No one else can have it on the same day as me, Uncle Nate." She replied with certainty and a little exasperation before eyeing the present once again with great interest.

Nathan and Haley looked at each other and tried not to laugh. Beth was a beautiful and sweet child, but being your average seven year old, she hadn't quite grasped the concept of a world outside of her own.

"Of course not. Today's your day." Nathan humored his niece, placing the large gift into her extended arms and watching as she toddled off to add it to the table with the rest of her gifts.

"Haley. Nathan. I'm so glad you're here." Lydia approached the two with a look of concern and her daughter knew she was upset.

"Hi, mom. What's wrong?"

"It's Cooper. He had a call from the racetrack earlier and went down to check out a car or something. I'm not sure exactly what he was doing… you know I zone out when things like cars come into conversation but he said something about it being a one off opportunity. He was going to pass on it, especially with it being Beth's birthday, but I promised to watch her until he got back… but that was hours ago and I've heard nothing from him and his phone is turned off. I'm worried. He said he'd be an hour at most."

Haley felt a tingle of alarm run down her spine. Beth was Coop's whole world and she knew that leaving for even only an hour would have been a hard decision for him. There was no way he'd stay away for hours and miss her birthday party, especially without checking in. She glanced at Nathan and could see he'd come to the same conclusion… he also seemed to be on the same wavelength because he quickly threw an arm around Lydia's shoulder and hugged her quickly, reassuring her that Coop was probably just being a typical man and had got himself distracted by a beautiful car. Turning to Haley, he asked casually, "How about we head out to the track and tell him to get his butt back here?"

She nodded her head and smiled at her mother, hiding her worry. "We'll be back soon, mom."

Before Nathan had even grabbed the keys out of his pocket, he saw the car approaching and he felt a wave of nausea roll over him. The police car drew to a halt beside them and the officers exited the vehicle.

"Good afternoon. We're looking for Lydia or Jimmy James."

"I'm Lydia," the petite woman stated softly.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, ma'am, but there's been an accident out at the Raceway. Cooper Lee was involved in the collision and has been taken to the local hospital."

Having seen the police car drive up, Jimmy James had made his way over in time to hear what had happened and seeing the others in shock, he quickly inquired about Cooper's state of health. "Can you tell us anything more about his condition?"

At the sound of her husband's voice, Lydia quickly moved beside him, taking comfort in his embrace as she tried to wrap her mind around the news. Similarly needing comfort, Haley was relieved when Nathan drew her close. She could feel herself shaking and was grateful for the support.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but I'm afraid I don't have any more information for you. The owner of the racetrack advised us that Cooper was staying here and that you should be notified. Can I offer you a ride to the hospital?"

Nathan cleared his throat and thanked the officer but stated that they wouldn't need any assistance getting there. He'd never had any trouble taking charge, but as he looked at the distraught faces of the James family, he realized that they'd been a huge part of Coop's life when he hadn't been around as much as he should and he couldn't help second guessing himself and his right to take charge.

"Mom. Dad. Would you mind staying here and keeping Beth occupied? She can't know what's happening until we have more news and as much as I'd like to be here for her party, I need to be at the hospital with Coop." The James' nodded in agreement before Haley turned her head up to look at Nathan. "Can you drive us?"

She was being brave, but Nathan could see the fear in her eyes and hated seeing her so wounded and vulnerable. He wanted to pull her even closer and bury his face in her hair, promising everything would alright, but it wasn't his place… yet. Besides, the thought of Coop being injured and not having any clue as to how seriously, Nathan didn't have time to dwell on his feelings for the blonde clinging to him.

"Of course. Let's go."

_Her summer had been absolutely miserable up until a week ago when she and Nathan had patched things up - well sort of. She still didn't know why he'd acted the way he had and she could tell there was something major bothering him, but she could also see he was trying to be the same Nathan she'd known these past years. They'd spent nearly every waking moment together since they'd danced at the 4__th__ of July celebration and put aside their differences to be friends again. No matter what they did, she always had the time of her life with him. She loved him. Haley knew that people would tell her she was being silly and that a sixteen year old girl wouldn't know anything about love, but she knew Nathan – the real Nathan – and she knew her own heart… and she was in love with Nathan Scott. _

"_You going to have a go, Hales?" Coop asked teasingly from beside her as they watched Nathan drive around the track._

"_I don't have a license and you know very well that even if I did you would not get me in one of those death traps."_

"_They are not death traps. I've been driving for years and I'm still here aren't I?"_

"_Hmm… and I'd like to keep it that way," she said watching Nathan take another turn at high speed. She felt a sudden pain in her hands and looked down to see that she was gripping the railing so tightly that her knuckles were white. Why did Nathan have to follow after his uncle? She hated every second that he was out there. It felt like her insides were being twisted around and knotted._

"_Tighter, Nate." She heard Cooper mumble. Haley knew nothing about racing, but Nathan had told her that usually Coop would be talking to him on a headset thing, but with today being her first visit to the track he'd decided to join her and let one of the other guys communicate with Nathan._

"_Damn it, Nate. Take the turn tighter. You know this shit!" he cursed, before turning towards her and telling her he'd be right back._

_Haley felt nervous. It was obvious that Coop wasn't satisfied with Nathan's driving. She knew that he believed his nephew had a natural talent when it came to driving, but he'd only done this a few times and it only took one slip up…_

_Just as the thought entered her mind Haley heard the screech of tyres and she quickly whipped her head around to see Nathan's car lose control, skidding, clipping a barrier and finally spinning around before stopping in the middle of the track._

_Her heart stopped and she stood frozen as men ran out onto the track, including Cooper who was yelling loudly, but none of it registered. Was this it? Was she going to lose Nathan? It wasn't until she saw them pulling him out of the window and saw him stand on his own, shooing Cooper and the other men away from him, that she released the breath she'd been holding in. That had just been the worst moment of her life… and suddenly she knew she had to tell Nathan how she felt about him. Life was short and she'd come too close to never being able to let him know that rather than being the boy whose parents didn't love him – something he seemed to have always defined himself by – he was the boy she loved with all her heart. He meant the world to her and he deserved to know that._

_A few hours later after a reluctant Nathan had been checked out by doctors at the hospital and released with a clean bill of health, he and Haley were hanging out in his and Cooper's cabin. Everyone else had gone into town for dinner, but Nathan had wanted space away from them and all of their concern. It was nice to know all these people cared, but damn it, he wasn't used to so much of it. His father had always been an ass and his mother was pretty much absent all the time so dealing with overprotective parents had never been an issue. _

_He was glad that Haley had decided to stay back with him though. He knew he'd scared the crap out of her today and he really did feel bad about that. Knowing she cared so much felt good, though, and in a different way to Cooper or Jimmy or Lydia. It was almost like his heart flipped knowing that this amazing girl cared so much about what happened to him._

"_Are you okay?" he asked as she lay quietly, staring up at the ceiling of the cabin. Neither of them had felt like doing much and had decided to just listen to some music. They were lying on his bed in comfortable silence just as they'd done all the summers before, but something was different and he didn't think it was just to do with the day's events._

"_Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine," she replied dismissively._

_Turning onto his side, Nathan studied her carefully. She seemed edgy and wouldn't look at him and he wondered if she was mad. She'd always told him how dangerous and stupid she thought racing cars was but he'd done it anyway. Maybe that was it._

"_I'm sorry I scared you today, Haley. I won't drive anymore if you don't want me to."_

_Sighing, she turned so that they were facing each other. "I know you love it, Nathan, so I'd never ask you not to do it… just please be more careful," she said, her voice breaking at the end._

"_Aw, don't cry, Hales," he murmured before pulling her closer and wrapping his arms around her, letting her cry into his shirt. He hated upsetting her, but he wouldn't deny that he loved the feel of holding her in his arms and her needing his comfort. He also couldn't deny that holding her had another, more primal effect on him. How could he not feel certain things when a girl he cared so much about, and was so attracted to was cuddled up against him?_

_Pulling back to look up at him, Haley lifted a hand and stroked his cheek. "You could have died today, Nathan. I could have lost you today and I realized that… that I have to tell you..."_

_Nathan watched her biting her lip nervously, her eyes shining with tears and knew there was no one more beautiful in this world than Haley James. She was beautiful inside and out and he was so lucky to have her in his life. _

"_What? You can tell me," he promised, kissing her forehead._

_She sighed at the contact, having missed this affection from him. Even though they'd spent the last week together things had been different and there'd been a physical barrier between them. It was nice to be this close to him. Although she had to admit this felt different than it had in the past. Before it had been friendly, almost like brother and sister, but the affection between them now felt intimate and the atmosphere charged. Her body was reacting strongly to the contact and as that thought popped into her head she suddenly realized that his body was reacting too. She blushed a little as she felt the unmistakable hardness against her thigh; testing the waters, she shifted slightly to see if she was right and when she heard his sharp intake of breath and saw him close his eyes as if searching for composure she knew she wasn't imagining it. Her spirit soared and it gave her the courage to go on. Placing her hand back on his cheek, Haley waited for him to look at her again, this time with heat in his gaze._

"_I love you."_

_Nathan was beyond shocked. At first he figured she meant as a friend, and of course he knew she'd always had a bit of a crush on him, but he could see the truth staring back at him in her eyes. All his previous plans to stay away from her fled from his mind. It didn't matter that she was younger. It didn't matter that she was too good for him. He no longer had to feel guilty for seeing her as a woman instead of just his friend. Haley James loved him! It was like a light had finally switched on taking him from the darkness that had surrounded him for months. Without thought he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her. He couldn't say the words. They'd never come easily to him, but he could show her with his kiss just how much she meant to him._

"You okay?"

Haley shook her head, clearing her thoughts of that terrible time when she'd thought she'd lost Nathan. She shivered at the memory and looked across at him sitting next to her. He'd been amazing today. He'd been quiet on the drive over, sensing her need to think, but he'd reached across and taken her hand, intertwining their fingers. Somewhere in the back of her mind she'd felt the regular sense of alarm that always came when Nathan touched her, warning her to be careful, but mostly she'd just felt comforted. Like he was giving her strength. Then he'd handled the nurses and doctors as they'd struggled to find out more information about Cooper's condition. Finally they'd been told he was in surgery to repair a badly broken leg, but thankfully it seemed that was the worst of his injuries. He'd be bruised and sore for a while, but there had been no internal bleeding and after a night or two in hospital for observation, he'd be able to leave. Not bad for a guy who slammed a racecar into a concrete barrier at a 150 miles per hour.

"Yeah." She sighed tiredly before offering him a smile. "Thanks. I just need to see that he's okay for myself, you know?"

Nathan nodded, understanding what she meant and ignoring the brief flash of jealousy he felt wondering if Haley wasn't only concerned about a friend, but perhaps even the man she loved. He still had no idea what the real relationship was between the two and the fact that he was being so selfish and letting himself think about it while Cooper was lying in the hospital made him feel like the worst kind of person. If Cooper was the man Haley wanted, then he should just be happy that his uncle - whom he loved with all his heart and who had shown him more love than his own parents – was still alive to have a future with her. "The doctor should be back in a minute and then we can see him."

Not long after, they were taken into Cooper's room and found him smiling at them groggily. "Hey, guys. Thanks for coming. It's always good for a guy to know he's loved."

At the joke, Haley promptly burst into tears, her façade of control shattering now that she was seeing him in person. Coop was so important to her and the thought of losing him had paralyzed her with fear. The stress of the day had just been too much and she could no longer fight back the tears.

"Aw, Hales. C'mere," he said softly before Haley leaned over the side of the bed and let him wrap his arm around her. "I'm okay. Everything's going to be okay."

She continued to sob silently for a minute and Nathan watched on awkwardly, not sure if he should be looking, but at the same time unable to look away. These two really were a family and even though he was a blood relation to Coop, he suddenly felt like an intruder in the mix. Just as he turned to quietly leave the room he heard his uncle call for him.

"Don't leave me here alone with Little Miss Waterworks," he joked, laughing and then coughing as the action caused his bruised ribs to ache.

Haley lifted her head and looked at them both, embarrassed at her mini breakdown. "I'm done. I promise," she swore, wiping her tears away.

Nathan watched her as she spoke with Cooper, scolding him for scaring her and then reassuring him that Beth was fine and informing him that her parents were bringing her in to see him now that he was awake and alert.

Even with her hair disheveled and her eyes red rimmed from crying, she looked beautiful and as Nathan watched her being so open and affectionate with his uncle, his heart ached. They could have lost Cooper today, and even though it felt like a part of him was dying, he knew that he'd never be able to put his own happiness above the ones he loved. And he did love both of them. If his thoughts about the two of them proved to be correct and they made each other happy, then he wouldn't stand in their way.

At the sound of knocking, the three of them looked up to find Jimmy and Lydia entering the room, Beth held securely in Jimmy arms, her head almost buried in her chest as she eyed them all hesitantly. She'd never been in a hospital before and although she'd been told her daddy was going to be fine, she was still unsure about the whole situation. The little girl was obviously scared as she took in the medical equipment and Cooper's cuts and bruises. Her lower lip trembled and her usually booming voice was suddenly whisper quiet.

"Daddy?"

"Hey, baby. You gonna give your daddy hug?" he asked with a big smile, determined to make her see he was fine. His heart was breaking to see his little girl so scared and he just wanted to see her beautiful little face light up and smile again. She nodded slowly and looked up at Jimmy, without words asking him to deposit her on the bed with her father. It was strange for all of them to see Beth so quiet and timid compared to her usually loud and confident manner. He held back a groan of pain as she snuggled up to him practically burrowing into his chest. He didn't care about the pain. He was alive and with his baby girl – that's all that mattered.

Cooper explained the events of the day, or as much as he could remember as his daughter slept, but before long a nurse was telling his visitors that they had to leave. Beth cried, throwing her first tantrum in years when she was told she'd have to leave without her father, but Nathan and Haley soothed her, the girl eventually allowing Nathan to lift her into his arms where she fell asleep as they walked out to their cars.

Haley sat in the back of Nathan's car so she could cuddle the distraught little girl while still making sure they were both secured by seat belts. She stroked Beth's hair as she leaned into her side, her breath quickly evening out as exhaustion took over. She looked up to see Nathan glancing back at them in the rear view mirror and smiled softly letting him know they were okay, before letting her head fall back against the seat where she soon succumbed to slumber herself.

When they arrived back at the holiday park, Nathan turned off the engine and looked back at the two sleeping girls. Haley was now a woman of course, but in that moment, sleeping with Beth curled up beside her she looked like the young, innocent girl he'd known as a kid. The same girl he'd fallen in love with. His thoughts wandered to what life would have been like if things had ended differently that summer. Could something more have developed between them back then? If things had been different, would it be Haley, his wife, and their own child that he watched over? He couldn't think about that now, so he shook his thoughts away and called out to Haley to wake her up.

"I think she should stay in her and Cooper's cabin tonight. She needs the familiarity. Where were you planning on sleeping?" Nathan asked as he lifted the sleeping girl into his arms.

"I was going to crash with mom and dad originally, but I'll stay with Beth tonight," she said softly, brushing hair out of the little girl's face.

When they entered the cabin they found the place littered with gifts, most unopened and they shared a look, knowing how what should have been a fabulous birthday had turned so horrible for Beth. Cooper was riddled with guilt over it all, more than once telling them how terrible he felt for even leaving in the first place. Haley could understand his reasoning, he was a committed father and always there for Beth, but apparently he'd been chasing down a particular car for months and he'd got a call this morning to say that if he wanted to take a look at one he needed to get down the track today. They'd all reassured him that taking off for an hour didn't make him a bad father, but they all knew it hadn't sunk in. He was going to have to deal with his feelings of guilt for letting down his little girl and risking leaving her without any parents. That's what was really bothering him and Haley knew that for the first time he was really questioning whether his work with racecars was really worth it.

Haley managed to change Beth into her pajamas without waking her and decided to place her in Cooper's larger bed. She'd sleep in there too just in case Beth woke up and needed the comfort. When she came back out, Nathan was sitting at the table with hot chocolate he'd made for the both of them.

"I figured you'd want to unwind before you went to sleep. It's been a hard day."

He seemed hesitant, nervous, like he wasn't sure if his presence was appreciated and Haley realized then just how hard she'd been on him since he'd reappeared in her life. Sure, she'd felt justified at the time and she wasn't completely over what happened between them all that time ago, but he was a good man. She'd seen that the night before with his charity work and today with how he'd looked after her and Beth. Rather than wanting to be rid of him, Haley was suddenly glad he was there. It was nice to have him as her friend again.

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip and moaning softly. "Mmm… this is perfect."

Nathan hated his bodily reaction to her, felt guilty for even thinking of her sexually at a time like this but he couldn't help it. Everything about her had his body and his heart singing. No other woman had ever made him feel this way.

"You were really great today, Nathan. I want you to know how much I appreciate you handling everything. We were so glad to have you here... I'm really glad you're here."

Nathan was surprised by her words and he couldn't help but smile. It felt like part of her walls had been pulled down. "Thanks. I'm glad I'm here too."

Before he got too excited he remembered his fears about her relationship with his uncle and tried to push down his jealousy and disappointment. He needed to figure this out. The not knowing was killing him so he figured he may as well just come out and ask her.

"Haley?"

There was that voice again, she thought. The one that sounded like a little boy who was unsure of himself. It pulled at her heartstrings and she swallowed, knowing that it really wouldn't take much for her determination to remain only friends with Nathan to disappear. To deny that she still had more than friendly feelings for him would be stupid because she wasn't one to lie to herself. It really wouldn't take much for her to fall in love with him all over again… but the scariest thing was that while that thought had terrified her only yesterday, it was getting harder and harder to remember why it was a bad idea to get involved with this man.

"Yeah?" she asked, her voice quaking slightly as she wondered what he was going to ask her. If Nathan did have feelings for her, would she be able to resist him or would she give into her desire to be with him.

"You and Coop… well, are you—"

"DADDY!!"

At the sound of Beth's scream, Haley bolted out of her seat and raced into the room where she'd left the little girl sleeping. She found her huddled up crying and quickly climbed on to the bed, pulling her into her arms.

"It's okay, sweetie. Aunty Haley's here."

The little girl continued to sob, saying that she wanted her daddy and Haley felt so damn useless. She looked at Nathan and shook her head helplessly.

"You can see your daddy in the morning, princess," he said softly, sitting on the mattress and reaching out to stroke her hair. "Why don't you go back to sleep and in the morning we can take you to see him."

"No!"

"I'll sleep right here with you," Haley promised, rocking her gently. She slipped off her shoes and rearranged the covers so that she was beneath them and Beth could cuddle right up to her.

"See. Aunty Haley's right here with you and I'll see you in the morning. Sweet dreams," Nathan said, leaning over to kiss the girl's forehead.

Beth quickly let go of her grip on Haley and wrapped her arms around Nathan, holding tight. "Don't go, Uncle Nate! You have to stay too. Pleaaaaase."

Nathan closed his eyes, not knowing what to do. He didn't want to upset Beth, but the likelihood of Haley letting him stay wasn't good. He looked across at her and to his surprise she nodded her head and mouthed, 'It's okay'.

"Alright. I'll stay… but don't you hog all the covers you giggle-bug," he added teasingly, earning him a small smile from Beth who had a reputation for stealing all the covers no matter what size the bed.

Kicking off his shoes, Nathan turned off the light, leaving a lamp on in case Beth woke up again, and slid under the covers. Beth cuddled into his side, her head resting on his chest and within minutes she'd nodded off again.

He glanced over at Haley and noticed a tear slip down her cheek. Frowning, he automatically reached out to wipe it away. Unexpectedly, she leaned into his touch and he relished the moment of feeling connected to her for the first time in years.

"Are you okay?" he asked, stroking her cheek.

She nodded and placed a hand over his. "I'm sorry. It's just been one of those days, I guess."

"You don't have to apologize, Haleybub. I'm here if you need me. I promise."

"Thank you, she whispered, meeting his gaze in the soft light. Something happened in that moment. It was the understanding that they'd always shared as teens, but now there was an intimacy added to the mix that felt so overpowering she had to pull away. It had been a crazy day and she needed to think things over before she did something stupid like kiss Nathan Scott, something that might very well be a bad idea… an especially bad idea when Beth was with them. She removed her hand from his, needing the physical space. She'd worry about it tomorrow, but for now she just wanted to sleep.

"Good night, Nathan."

"'Night, Hales."

An hour later he still lay there unable to sleep. How could he in this situation? He couldn't help but wonder once again what it would be like if he and Haley were a couple, lying here with their own little boy or girl. He hadn't realized just how much he wanted it until this moment. Unfortunately, he still had no answers about her relationship with Cooper… and he was scared to find out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Taking It Back

**Summary:** They say there's a right time for everything. Everything happens for a reason. Patience is a virtue. Blah. Blah. Blah. Well Nathan Scott says that you decide what you want and you take it. Haley James doesn't stand a chance.

**Author's Note:** _Thanks again to everyone who read and reviewed the previous update. I really appreciate the support and feedback. Thank you so much to Dawn, Molly and Kris for your wonderful feedback and especially to Dawnie who had to hold my hand a little through this update. I apologise for the long delay with this fic and even longer delay with my others, but I have just completed a big move interstate and am very busy settling in and looking for work. I hope that the wait for another update won't be so long next time._

* * *

"Haley? Haleybub!"

Jerking away from the phone, she dropped it on the table as her ear began ringing from her father's voice shouting down the line.

Haley picked the phone up again and placed it against her other ear. "Ugh! Dad, did you have to yell? My eardrum just about burst."

"Apparently it was the only way to get your attention." Jimmy chuckled imagining the scowl on his daughter's face. "Look, it's obvious that you can't concentrate today. I should have known you'd be too preoccupied worrying about Cooper to get any work done, so just go on home and take care of him. I'll get Andrew to finish up the paperwork on the Winters case."

Haley flushed a deep pink at her father's words. Of course his first assumption would be that preoccupation was about Cooper. The man was holed up at home on bed rest for god's sake… but Coop had barely entered her thoughts since she'd left the house that morning. It was the younger Scott man that had been on her mind all day. Nathan seemed to always be on her mind lately whether she was remembering the great times they shared as kids or how amazing he was with Beth and all of the other many aspects of his personality that continued to surprise and impress her.

Not to mention he was the only man on the planet who had the ability to melt her into a puddle of lust. As much as she'd like to deny it, the man was sizzling hot. She tried using her brain to override the reaction that her body had to him, but it seemed to be failing her. Here she was, nowhere near him, but her mind kept conjuring images of his gorgeous body, his startling blue eyes and his sexy-as-sin smile.

Unfortunately she'd had a ridiculously unproductive day at work because she'd spent most of it imagining that smile directed towards someone else, and the jealousy that stirred in the pit of her stomach from those thoughts was ridiculous. She had no claim over Nathan Scott and more importantly didn't want to claim him but still that overwhelming feeling of jealousy just wouldn't subside. She could see him now, smiling away at Bianca - Cooper's stunning new physiotherapist - flirting shamelessly, and being the normal warm blooded woman she was, Bianca probably wouldn't be able to resist Nathan's charm. She liked the other woman, genuinely thought she was a lovely person, but as soon as she had seen how well the therapist had gotten along with her patient's nephew, quickly picturing them as a couple, she wanted to scratch the pretty brunette's eyes out.

"Haley?" Jimmy sighed waiting for his youngest daughter to respond. Although he and Lydia had tried to persuade her to take a week off work to help out with Cooper and Beth, she'd been adamant that it wasn't necessary, but obviously she'd been wrong. "That's it young lady. I'm speaking as your father now as well as your boss. You are to take the rest of the week off because it's obvious your mind isn't making it into the office with the rest of you. Go home and take care of things and come back when you can get your mind back on the job."

Haley smiled at her father's words. He sounded so stern but she could hear the warmth and concern in his voice. "Okay Dad. Thanks."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. You just transfer me through to Andrew and I'll discuss the workload for this week with him."

"Alright. I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Haleybub."

~*~

The laughter coming from the kitchen could be heard clearly as soon as Haley opened the front door. The sound of Beth's childish giggles brought a smile to her face and she longed to cuddle her precious little angel. Disposing of her jacket and briefcase, Haley moved toward the kitchen, grinning at the sound of Beth's shrieks of delight and Nathan's deep rumble… and a feminine chuckle? Entering the room she found her smile quickly fading at the sight before her. The bench was strewn with mixing bowls and cup cake trays and all the ingredients that went into making the baked goods, but the mess didn't bother her. No it was seeing Beth sitting in amongst it laughing heartily as she watched Nathan holding Bianca, his arm around the woman's waist to keep her in place while he wiped cake batter across her flushed cheeks. The scene seemed intimate somehow and she felt like an outsider, something she'd never once felt in Cooper's home.

"Aunt Haley!" Beth squealed as she noticed her in the doorway. "You're home! I'm helping Uncle Nate make chocolate cupcakes for Daddy."

With a bright smile quickly set on her face, Haley looked away from the two adults who had stopped their previous antics and went to the little girl who was holding out her arms in welcome. She would no doubt end up with chocolate frosting all over her suit but she didn't care. She needed to hold Beth, the one person who always needed her.

"Hey there Betty Boop. I missed you so much that I decided I just had to race home to see you." she said earning a big grin from the little girl.

"Hi Haley." Bianca smiled at the blonde, using a Kleenex to wipe the mess from her face as she joked "Thank God you're here. Now these two monsters have a new victim and I can get out of here relatively unharmed."

Somehow managing to keep the tension out of her voice, Haley responded with a tight smile. "Oh, I'm sure it wasn't too awful for you. It looked like you were all having a great time."

She could see Nathan watching her with a frown. He knew that something was wrong. Haley liked Bianca and had previously gotten along with her really well, so to see her so stand-offish towards the other woman had him a little thrown. He thought back on the scene she'd walked into and realized with more than a little satisfaction that she'd been jealous. Hiding the smirk that begged to come out and play, Nathan watched as Bianca left for her next appointment and Beth showed Haley the most successful batch of cupcakes they'd made. His niece chatted on happily while he and Haley worked in silence to clean up the rather large mess.

"I like Bianca. She's pretty. Don't you think she's pretty, Uncle Nate?" Beth asked innocently.

He cleared his throat softly, wishing his niece hadn't asked that question. He glanced at Haley who was pretending to ignore the conversation and instead busied herself by unnecessarily wiping the bench she'd already thoroughly cleaned just moments ago.

"Um, sure."

Beth smiled widely; like all children she loved having her opinions validated by those she looked up to. "But she's not as pretty as Aunt Haley. Aunt Haley is the prettiest girl in the whole world. Right, Uncle Nate?"

Startled, Haley glanced up and locked eyes with him, surprised by the intensity of his gaze. Rather than turning back to his niece as he responded, he kept looking at the woman he spoke of. "You're the prettiest girl in the world, Munchkin… but Aunt Haley is definitely the prettiest woman."

Haley flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and desire. The way he was looking at her set her body on fire and if Beth hadn't been there she was sure he'd have bridged the gap between them and kissed her senseless. She was so confused by it all. Had he been flirting with Bianca or was she reading too much into what could have just been some innocent playfulness for Beth's benefit? She'd felt something between herself and Nathan since he'd come back into her life and she knew he wanted her, but was that all? She had wondered if maybe he wanted something more serious than a bit of a fling, but if he was hitting on other women at the same time, she doubted he was serious about them… and how did that make her feel? Ugh! It was going to drive her insane and she needed to get away from him and his heated gaze before she embarrassed herself.

"Uh… I'm just going to check on Coop." she muttered before quickly turning and leaving the tension filled room. By the time she entered Cooper's room down the hall she hadn't managed to convince herself that she'd imagined the heated look Nathan had given her. Taking a deep breath, she greeted him with a wide smile and sat on the edge of his bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like hell." He grimaced. "That damned woman will be the death of me."

Haley chuckled, knowing that Bianca was going to push Coop hard to ensure a speedy recovery. "That damned woman knows her stuff and you will follow every single one of her instructions, Cooper Lee! Besides, I'm sure she's not that bad. I think all men are babies when it comes to pain." She teased before poking her tongue out as he glared at her.

"I swear she enjoys seeing me in pain." He complained with a pout "But she is pretty hot so I guess I'll put up with her."

Haley rolled her eyes at the comment and fought back the jealousy that was arising once again. She knew the other woman was beautiful and having Coop confirm it didn't ease the worry that Nathan would be starting something with her. "Well your nephew certainly seems to think so."

Although avoiding his gaze, embarrassed to have been so obvious about her jealousy, Haley could feel him watching her. Why couldn't she just keep her mouth shut? Coop would tease her mercilessly now for sure.

"Haley."

The concerned tone he used to speak her name had the blonde lifting her gaze to his and she was surprised to see him watching her with a worried frown, rather than an amused smile.

"I want you to listen to me because I'm an old man and I know a lot… about everything." He grinned at her amused chuckle. "You don't need to be jealous."

"I'm not…"

"Don't even go there. I've known you since you were a kid so don't try to be pulling this crap. You're jealous."

Crossing her arms over her chest defiantly, she refused to comment, ashamed that a woman of her age was still affected so much by her teenage crush.

"Look. What I'm trying to say is that you have nothing to worry about. That idiot nephew of mine is crazy about you. He wouldn't notice if another woman was centerfold material or should be wearing a paper bag over her head… because it doesn't matter. He's not even looking. I hate to sound cliché, but he's only got eyes for you, honey."

"Coop…"

"I know he hurt you and for a while there I was ready to beat the crap out of my own nephew, but it was years ago, Haley. He was still a boy, the same way you were still just a girl. You're adults now who have grown up and lived apart and yet there's still this undeniable 'thing' between you. You gravitated towards each other when you first met; becoming the closest of friends even though it seemed so unlikely and you stayed friends, bringing out the best in each other. Do you remember how happy you both were every summer? Still to this day I've never seen Nate so happy as when he was with you. It takes a lot to get close to him and even after all these years apart you still mean the world to him."

The intensity of Cooper's eyes, usually so playful and charming made her uneasy. She didn't want to hear this. She wanted to be friends with Nathan until they went their separate ways again… not hear some fairytale version of their relationship to date.

"You don't know that, Coop. Sure, he's attracted to me and paying me plenty of attention but he's a flirt. He's always been a flirt. I think it's his default setting and he'd be the same way with any woman he was attracted to. You should have seen him with Bianca earlier. That completely proved my point."

"I know Nate and I know how he feels about you. How he's always felt about you. There's nothing more I can say, but life is short sweetheart… I'm just realizing that now and I'd hate for you to miss out on something really special because you're scared."

Haley's jaw dropped at his words and she poked his chest in indignation, feeling a little guilty as he winced at the contact. She kept forgetting he was still a little tender there.

"I am not scared! I don't understand you and Tay. You both know how I feel about him… I mean about what happened. Why is it that he can just show up after twelve years and suddenly I'm supposed to just forget what happened and offer myself up to him on a platter?"

Coop sighed and reached out to take her hand. "C'mere." He said softly pulling her onto the mattress and waiting for her to curl into his side. He remembered holding her like this all those years ago when he'd found her sobbing just after Nathan had suddenly informed him he was going home to his parents for the rest of the summer. The memory had his jaw clenching, wondering why he was even pleading Nathan's case to her and trying to get them talk when he'd been set on keeping them apart when he saw how distraught Haley had been back then. But things change. People change. It was obvious to him now that the two belonged together. He only hoped that Nathan could prove himself to her before it was too late.

"I'm not saying you should marry the guy… but I know you still have feelings for him. Maybe you should just talk to him about what happened, clear the air a little and see what happens from there. You don't have to give him your complete trust, Haley, because I know that scares you, but I think it's worth your while to give him a chance to earn it back"

As much as she wanted to fight his suggestion - her fear of getting hurt welling up inside - she also felt a sense of excitement and longing. She still loved him. She'd probably always love him… but something unexpected had happened since he'd come back into her life. She had grown to like him again. For so many years she had this image of the horrible person she thought he'd become and that had allowed her to put a safety net around her heart because there was no risk of getting involved if she disliked him as a person, no matter how much she was attracted to him physically. Now that she had seen what a great man he'd become it was so much harder to turn away from him. She wasn't even sure she wanted to any longer.

"_Are you okay?" he asked softly. His mind was fuzzy and his senses on overload, but the one thing he was completely aware of was Haley's naked body curled into his. He had just made love to her and he felt a peace he'd never known before. He hadn't meant it to go that far. When she'd said that she loved him, his control snapped and he finally gave in and kissed her. It was something he'd been stopping himself from doing all summer by staying away from her, but in that moment with her looking at him so openly and laying her heart on the line he couldn't resist. He'd lost himself in their kiss and before he even realized what was happening they were making love. _

_Sighing, Haley ran her fingers across his chest "Never better." She replied, smiling against the smooth skin of his shoulder. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She'd dreamed about being with him for so long but none of those dreams had ever come close to the reality. He'd been so passionate yet so tender. It hadn't hurt the way she thought it would. Of course there was pain, but she was with Nathan and he'd soothed her before making her forget all about her discomfort. In that moment she realized that there had never been another possibility in her mind; never another person she could imagine losing her virginity to. As hopeless as it had seemed for years now, she always imagined that this special moment would be with him. _

_She looked up at him with a warm smile, still unbelieving of the open, loving way he had been looking at her as she lay in his arms. She'd always been the closest person to Nathan, the one he could talk to but there was always a limit to how much he could open himself up to anyone. It really felt in this moment that all of the walls he'd erected during his childhood were gone and she was seeing all of him. Glancing down at the sheet covering their bodies, she couldn't suppress her giggle thinking of just how much of him she'd seen._

"_What?" he asked with a curious smile._

"_Nothing." She shook her head, brushing her lips against his skin softly. "Do you know what's strange? I can't believe that I'm lying here like this with you. Not just that we've been together, but that I'm lying here… naked… next to you. Naked." She added again emphasizing just how much it surprised her._

_Nathan felt a jolt of heat run through him. The sight of their entwined bodies hidden only by the sheet was so arousing. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen and although he'd been holding back his desire for her all summer; he'd had no idea just how the sight of her naked would affect him. She was perfection. Every single inch of her was absolutely perfect and he couldn't imagine looking at another woman with any interest ever again. He loved her. All of her from her gorgeous creamy white skin to her heart of gold. Haley James was the perfect woman and he knew he'd never love anyone else._

"_Hales," he whispered huskily, leaning down to nuzzle her cheek, "Believe me… I'm well aware of how naked you are."_

_The pink that bloomed on her cheeks was part embarrassment, part lust as she heard the raw sexual need in his voice. Her body responded immediately and she knew she wanted to do it all over again. Deciding to brazen - well brazen enough for a sixteen year old who had been a virgin only half an hour earlier – she threw a leg over his waist and moved to straddle him, grinning down at his look of surprise._

"_You're pretty naked yourself, Nathan Scott." She laughed, feeling him stir beneath her. It was all so new, and odd…and exciting! _

_Returning her smile, Nathan reached up and pulled her down for a lingering kiss. He'd never get sick of kissing her. As they slowly explored each other's mouths in a soft, languorous kiss they failed to hear the cabin door opening or the footsteps that approached the bedroom._

"_Oh this is just great." Dan sneered as he glared at the couple beneath the sheets. "You really need to start thinking with your brain instead of your Dick, Nathan."_

"_What the hell?" Nathan exclaimed pulling the sheet up to ensure Haley was covered completely from his father's gaze. _

"_When the hell are you going to grow up, Son? I won't be around to fix your mistakes forever." He added, smirking nastily at Haley. "I can't believe you'd be stupid enough to do this again. Get up and get dressed. We're leaving. I should have known your uncle couldn't be trusted to watch you carefully enough."_

"_I'm nineteen years old, Dad. Coop knows he doesn't have to treat me like a child."_

"_Well stop acting like one. This whoring around has to stop. I'm sick of cleaning up your trash." Dan sneered at Haley, his gaze raking over her with a sickening mix of disdain and lust that had bile rising up her throat. _

_After having pulled on his boxers, Nathan stood up and quickly placed himself between Haley and his father. "Just get the hell out, Dad. I'll meet you outside in a few minutes." _

_Once his father left the cabin, banging the door loudly behind him Nathan let out a deep sigh of relief. He turned toward the bed to find Haley, wrapped in his sheet, searching the floor for her clothing. He could see the tears falling down her flushed cheeks. God, she must be mortified. He felt terrible for all of it. The way his father had barged in on what should have been a beautiful, memorable moment for Haley and then the way he'd treated her so disrespectfully. Damn, he wanted to hit his father so bad._

"_Hales." He sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry about that."_

_She could barely remember how to breathe, let alone get her composure back, but Haley managed a wobbly smile. "It's not your fault."_

_When she quickly looked away and picked up the last of her clothing he knew he couldn't let her leave like this. She'd given him such a gift today and it was supposed to be a day she'd remember forever… not because it was humiliating, but because it was special and perfect. He needed her to stay and wait for him to deal with his father. Reaching out, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down to sit on his lap on the edge of the bed._

_Haley didn't even try to pull away. She enjoyed the feel of his arms wrapped around her too much. He was safe. She always felt so safe with Nathan. She leaned back against him and turned her face into his neck. "I really should go."_

"_I don't want you to. I want you to stay right here until I get rid of him." He said with determination. "Will you stay for me?"_

_The slight vulnerability she sensed in his voice made her decision for her. She'd heard so much about Dan Scott and the way he treated his son, but until now she hadn't experienced it first hand. Nathan needed her support right now, and truthfully, she needed him too. She needed to know that this wasn't a mistake. That Dan's hateful words were all lies and Nathan was as happy about the evening's events as she was. Maybe he even loved her the way she loved him. She needed to find out so she'd stay and wait for him._

"_Okay," she whispered, kissing his cheek. "I'll stay."_

Nathan stood in the doorway watching his uncle holding the woman he loved and was overwhelmed by the sadness he felt. It should be him. He remembered the time he'd lain with her and held her in his arms thinking he was the luckiest guy on earth… before reality had sunk in and it had felt like his whole world caved in on him.

He fought back a growl of rage. He felt this odd sort of possessiveness that he'd only ever experienced with Haley and it made him want to grab her and throw her over his shoulder… not to mention he wanted to punch Coop for daring to touch his woman. God, he sounded like a damn caveman.

"Sorry to interrupt." He practically snarled. "Beth wants you to run her a bath, Haley."

Feeling a strange sense of guilt for being found in this position, Haley sat upright and flew off the bed, straightening out her clothes. "Thanks. I'll go…"

Scurrying out of the room she had to pass Nathan in the doorway, her breasts brushing past his chest as she went. Their gazes locked for a moment and she could see the hard glint of anger in his eyes even though he was trying to hide it. She sucked in a breath realizing that she couldn't deny it any longer. He was jealous. He wanted her and he was extremely jealous of her relationship with Cooper. After taking a moment to enjoy the feeling, she knew she had to put a stop to his assumptions. As much as she had enjoyed watching him squirm, she refused to cause problems between the two men. They were too important to each other for her to allow a stupid misunderstanding to create issues for them. She'd definitely have to clear that up with him.

Nathan glared as Coop chuckled at him. "If looks could kill..."

"You'd be a dead man." Nathan snapped.

"Calm down, Nate. You look ready to blow a fuse."

"Fuck!" He swore under his breath before moving into the room and closing the door behind him. "I've tried not to ask but I need to know… is there something going on between you and Haley?"

Cooper's chuckles grew louder until he was coughing from the discomfort of laughing with bruised ribs. Opening his eyes he saw the tense expression on his nephew's face and the rigid way he stood there trying not to lose his cool and knew the game was up. It was time to put the guy out of his misery.

"No, Nate. There's nothing going on."

The younger man let out a sigh of relief and rubbed a hand over his face before looking back at his uncle warily. He really wanted to ask if there had ever been anything between him and Haley… or if Coop maybe wished that there was, but he couldn't do it. If he knew the answer then he'd have to choose between going after what he wanted more than anything – a life with Haley - and stepping aside for the only family who'd ever shown him love. The one man who'd cared for him the way his own father couldn't. At least he could feign ignorance if he didn't know. Denial could be a powerful thing. Coop had a chance now to confess if he had feelings for Haley and he wasn't so Nathan would happily take that as a no.

"Good." Nathan said smugly before adding with a smirk. "I didn't want to have to hurt you."

Coop looked at him, his expression serious again. "I know you love her, Nate, but I swear to God if you hurt her again I'll castrate you myself. Got it?"

"I won't hurt her." He swore confidently.

"Good. I don't want to have to hurt you." Coop quipped, mimicking his nephew's earlier words.

~*~

Nathan tossed and turned for the hundredth time since going to bed that night. No matter how much his conscious mind tried to rest, his subconscious brought him memory after memory and dream after dream of Haley that ensured he got no rest at all. It was getting to the point where he could barely tell the two apart. He'd always remembered every moment of their time together, especially that night he'd known her so intimately. Every touch, every sound was ingrained in his memory but somehow his brain was adding to those memories, creating dreams that had his skin breaking out in a sweat and his breath labored. Oh how he wanted to have her again. Always. Forever.

Wiping his damp brow he groaned, knowing he'd probably never get to sleep at this rate. Sliding from his bed he headed towards the kitchen for a glass of water to cool himself down, but when he reached the doorway he stopped in his tracks. Was his mind playing tricks on him again because this was too amazing to be real? The room was dark except for the glow of the light from the refrigerator which illuminated the outline of a stunning female body encased in a short slip nightgown. He swallowed convulsively and felt his pulse race.

Sensing him behind her, Haley glanced around to see Nathan watching her intently. She had known instinctively that he was there. It was like her body knew when his was near. She couldn't see much of him where he stood in the dark, but she could see the light shining on his eyes and knew what he was thinking. She wished she'd grabbed her robe, suddenly feeling naked even though she was nowhere near being indecent. She heard his breath hitch a moment before he moved into the room and suddenly her body was alight with expectation. In that moment all of her doubts disappeared. Everything disappeared. It was just her and Nathan.

He had no idea what he was doing and he didn't care. His feet carried him across the tiled floor until he stood in front of her, looking down into her beautiful eyes that were darkened with need and he knew he couldn't stop himself… and he didn't think she'd want him to. Wrapping an arm around her waist he breathed out a sigh of relief as her hands ran up his bare chest and wrapped around his neck as she whispered his name. The sound of his name spoken so longingly was his undoing and he pulled her flush against him and captured her lips in a hungry kiss.


	6. Author's Note

_**Author's Note:**_

Firstly, I'm sorry to disappoint anyone who was expecting an update instead of this author's note.

I also want to apologise to everyone who has followed this fic and has been disappointed by the lack of updates. Unfortunately, I no longer have the time to work on my fanfics that I used to. Also, even though I still watch the show, I'm no longer heavily involved in the fandom and therefore my inspiration for writing has suffered.

I recently completed Holding On To Hope and have plans to wrap up Little White Lies as soon as I can (sometime this year), but after a lot of thought (and almost tearing my hair out), I can't see myself finishing this fic. The story is too involved and deserves a lot more than I can give it. These first five chapters are just the very beginning of what I initially had planned for this fic. While I have considered making this a short story simply to give it a resolution, I can't do the story justice that way.

I won't remove the story at this stage in case by some chance I am able to continue it, but I need to be honest with everyone and let you know that it's unlikely.

Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive of this fic and of my work in general. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.


End file.
